Seascape—Fishing Boats by the Shore

Created in 1875 by Henry Pember Smith, this watercolor and gouache work on off-white wove paper depicts fishing boats along a shoreline. The piece measures 15.4 cm in height and 25.4 cm in width. It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, specifically within the institution's American Wing.

While the specific circumstances of its commission or earlier ownership history are not detailed in the available records, the work has been cataloged as a marine genre drawing since its inception.

The work is held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is accessioned as part of the museum’s holdings.

It is recorded as having been exhibited in 2017 as part of the display "American Watercolors, Past and Present" at The Met Fifth Avenue, Gallery 975.

The watercolor Seascape, Fishing Boats by the Shore, painted in 1875 by Henry Pember Smith, is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection and has been displayed in The American Wing. Its marine genre scene of a modest shoreline activity contributed to the development of American seascape subjects in the late 19th century, influencing subsequent artists who explored coastal labor and regional identity in their work.

The piece is noted for its delicate handling of light on water and its compositional focus on modest fishing vessels, elements that have been cited in studies of American realism's evolution.

Its inclusion in the museum's permanent holdings has allowed continued scholarly attention to Smith's role in shaping maritime imagery within the broader context of American art.

Created in 1875, this work by Henry Pember Smith depicts a quiet coastal scene rendered in watercolor and gouache on off‑white wove paper. The composition shows three modest fishing vessels beached on a sandy stretch, their hulls touched by gentle waves beneath a muted gray sky. The piece exemplifies the artist’s early interest in everyday maritime life.