Artwork
Packet Ship Passing Castle Williams, New York Harbor
Packet Ship Passing Castle Williams, New York Harbor is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist Thomas Chambers. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a packet ship sailing past Castle Williams in New York Harbor.
The painting depicts a packet ship sailing past Castle Williams in New York Harbor. The scene includes the ocean, sky, clouds, wind waves, and an ensign on the ship. Castle Williams, a fort on Governors Island, is shown in the background.
As a marine painting, the work captures a moment of maritime commerce and transportation in mid-19th-century New York, with the packet boat representing a common vessel for mail and passengers.
Technique & Style
Painted in oil on canvas, the work adheres to the marine genre, depicting a packet ship with sails set, passing Castle Williams amid rolling waves, clouds, and a broad horizon. The horizontal format (56.5 x 76.1 cm) provides a wide vista typical of harbor scenes. While specific brushwork or handling is not described in available records, the listed elements, clouds, wind waves, ensigns, and the boat, suggest a dynamic, atmospheric composition. Condition details are absent from the sources consulted.
History & Provenance
Painted by Thomas Chambers around 1850, Packet Ship Passing Castle Williams, New York Harbor depicts a harbor scene with Castle Williams and a packet ship. The painting's early history is not documented beyond being recorded as from Connecticut. It was acquired by dealer William Richmond of William's Antiques in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, from whom it was purchased in 1954 by Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch. The Garbisches held the work until their bequest to the National Gallery of Art in 1980.
Packet Ship Passing Castle Williams, New York Harbor is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. It entered the museum by bequest from Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch in 1980. No inventory or accession number is recorded in the available sources, and no exhibition history is documented.
Overview
This oil on canvas by English-born artist Thomas Chambers depicts a bustling scene in New York Harbor during the mid-nineteenth century. A packet ship, propelled by both sail and steam, navigates the choppy waters, passing the distinctive circular form of Castle Williams on Governors Island. The painting exemplifies Chambers' characteristic marine art, known for its directness and vibrant palette, which contributed to his later recognition as a distinctive American talent.
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Artist & collection
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