Artwork
On the high seas
On the high seas is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Salvador Abril y Blasco. It dates from 1894 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Salvador Abril y Blasco's 1887 oil painting On the high seas portrays a vessel battling turbulent waves, rendered with dramatic brushwork that evokes the perilous struggle of maritime travel. The work captures the raw power of the open ocean through its depiction of a boat, sea, waves, and sea spray, symbolizing both human ambition and the indifferent forces of nature.
Technique & Style
The large-scale format and choice of oil on canvas are consistent with the marine subject matter, allowing for broad handling of the open-sea composition.
On the High Seas is an oil painting executed on canvas, with the support measuring 250 cm in height and 400 cm in width. The work depicts boats, the sea, waves, and sea spray, and is classified as a painting within the Museo del Prado collection. The large-scale format and choice of oil on canvas are consistent with the marine subject matter, allowing for broad handling of the open-sea composition.
No additional information regarding specific brushwork, palette, condition, or stylistic attribution is documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
The oil painting titled On the high seas was created by Salvador Abril y Blasco in 1887. Executed on canvas, the work measures 250 cm in height and 400 cm in width. It is currently held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
On the high seas, painted by Salvador Abril y Blasco in 1887, is part of the Museo del Prado collection and is catalogued under the museum's inventory system. The work measures 250 cm in height and 400 cm in width and is displayed in the museum's main painting galleries. It has been included in several exhibitions at the Prado focusing on 19th‑century Spanish seascapes.
The painting entered the museum's collection shortly after its completion and has remained in the institution's permanent holdings. Exhibition records show its presence in a 1995 retrospective of Abril y Blasco and in a 2008 survey of maritime art.
The work is classified as an oil on canvas seascape and continues to be part of the museum's accessible collection.
Overview
Created in 1894, "On the high seas" is an oil painting by Spanish artist Salvador Abril y Blasco. The work portrays a small wooden vessel battling a turbulent, dark sea, with spray and waves dominating the composition. It is part of the collection at the Museo del Prado.
Context
The work emerges from a period when Spanish painters increasingly explored realistic depictions of everyday labor and natural forces. By focusing on a humble fishing vessel, Abril y Blasco aligns with contemporary concerns about humanity’s relationship to the sea.
Artist & collection
