Artwork
United States and Macedonian
United States and Macedonian is an oil painting. It dates from 1821 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a single ship, classified within the marine genre.
The work depicts a single ship, classified within the marine genre. Created in 1821, the painting presents a maritime subject without additional narrative elements or specific symbolic figures identified in the available records. As an anonymous oil-on-glass piece likely made in China for the American market, its primary representation is the vessel itself, reflecting the era's interest in maritime trade and naval imagery.
Technique & Style
United States and Macedonian is a marine painting executed in oil on glass. Measuring 29.2 by 41.3 cm, the work was created in China and depicts a ship. The application of oil to a glass support yields a distinct visual quality, characterized by a smooth surface and luminous transparency that differs from traditional canvas-backed paintings.
The piece is classified within the marine genre and reflects the historical practice of Chinese export art producing ship portraits for Western patrons using this specific, delicate medium.
History & Provenance
United States and Macedonian is a marine painting created in 1821 by an anonymous artist. The work was executed in oil on glass and was produced in China. Measuring 29.2 cm in height and 41.3 cm in width, the artwork depicts a ship.
It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified under The American Wing.
The work United States and Macedonian is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified within The American Wing. Created in 1821, the painting depicts a ship and is attributed to an unknown artist. Its provenance includes its current location at the museum, which acquired the piece as part of its marine genre holdings.
No specific inventory or accession number is provided in the available records, nor are there details regarding past exhibitions of the work.
Context
The painting titled United States and Macedonian, dated 1821, is executed in oil on glass and depicts a ship. It belongs to The American Wing collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, underscoring its relevance to early American maritime subjects. Scholarship treats the work as an anonymous marine painting, highlighting its Chinese production site and the trans‑national context of early 19th‑century art.
Its attribution to an unknown artist and marine genre contribute to broader discussions of ship imagery in the formative period of American visual culture.
Overview
The work titled United States and Macedonian is an oil painting executed on the reverse side of a glass panel. The composition depicts two warships engaged in combat, their cannons emitting plumes of smoke against a somber sky. The piece belongs to the American Wing collection and is presented as a small, portable record of a naval encounter.
Artist & collection
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Marine Landscape
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Packet Ship Passing Castle Williams, New York Harbor