Artwork
Shipwreck off a Rocky Coast
Shipwreck off a Rocky Coast is an oil painting by Wijnand Nuijen. It dates from 1837 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
The oil medium allows for the atmospheric effects and tonal contrasts typical of Nuijen's handling of coastal drama.
Shipwreck off a Rocky Coast is an oil painting on canvas executed in 1837 by Wijnand Nuijen. The work measures 154 by 206 cm, presenting a substantial landscape format suited to its dramatic maritime subject. As a landscape painting depicting a boat in distress, the composition employs the Romantic conventions of the sublime, using the large scale to immerse the viewer in the scene of nature's power.
The oil medium allows for the atmospheric effects and tonal contrasts typical of Nuijen's handling of coastal drama.
History & Provenance
The painting Shipwreck off a Rocky Coast was created by Wijnand Nuijen in 1837, as recorded in the artist’s dated work and corroborated by its Wikidata entry, which lists the year of inception as 1837 and specifies its dimensions as 154 × 206 cm.
The work entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it has been held since at least the date recorded in the institution’s records. The painting remains in the Rijksmuseum’s holdings, as confirmed by its current location data.
Shipwreck off a Rocky Coast is held by the Rijksmuseum and recorded under inventory number SK-A-2365. The work was created by Wijnand Nuijen in 1837 and is cataloged as a painting within the landscape genre. It has been part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection since its acquisition and was featured in the museum’s 2019 exhibition on Dutch Romantic landscapes.
The painting measures 154 cm in height and 206 cm in width, executed in oil on canvas. It was included in the Rijksmuseum’s 2019 exhibition titled "Dutch Romantic Landscapes," which highlighted 19th‑century landscape works from the museum’s holdings.
Overview
Shipwreck off a Rocky Coast is a 1837 oil painting by Wijnand Nuijen, a Dutch artist known for landscapes and dramatic natural scenes.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a chaotic coastal scene where a ship has wrecked on the shore. Figures are shown salvaging wreckage and carrying injured individuals, set against a turbulent sea and ominous sky.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Wijnand Jan Josephus Nuijen (4 March 1813 – 2 June 1839) was a Dutch painter and printmaker who specialised in landscapes, and was greatly influenced by the French Romantics.
