Edward Moran - Life Saving Patrol, ca. 1893

Edward Moran - Life Saving Patrol, ca. 1893
oil on canvas, 91.6 x 138.4 cm
Smithsonian American Art Museum

Many of Edward Moran’s paintings show powerful scenes of shipwrecks and storms that emphasize the struggle between man and nature. In Life Saving Patrol, however, the sea and the sky appear relatively calm. The dramatic scale of the lifeguard against the moonlit water suggests a balance of power between the ocean and the brave men who risk their lives to rescue its victims.