Storm-Tossed Ships Wrecked on a Rocky Coast
1740
gouache
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1740
gouache
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This painting shows three ships smashing into jagged rocks. Waves spray high around one ship already broken in half. The water looks thick and dark. Dietzsch painted on vellum, a smooth animal skin. Gouache, a chalky watercolor, gives the colors a bright, almost unnatural glow. He loved storms and shipwrecks. If you like this wild sea scene, check out works by Willem van de Velde the Elder.
