Louis Wain: Pirate Pussies, 1901

 

Louis Wain: Pirate Pussies, 1901

Pierre Puvis de Chavannes: Sleep, 1867-70

Pierre Puvis de Chavannes: Sleep, 1867-70
oil on canvas, 66,4 x 106 cm
The Metropolitan Museum of Art

This is a smaller replica of an 1867 painting (Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille) that Puvis regarded as his "favorite work." He associated the composition with a fragment from the Aeneid by the ancient Roman poet Virgil: "It was the hour when the first rest of weary mortals begins" (book 2, line 268). The text refers to a brief (and illusory) respite from war, but Puvis portrays untroubled repose after harvesting. By depicting sleepers of all ages, ranging from an old man to a mother cradling her baby, the artist creates an image of communal rest and protection.

Nils Jakob Olsson Blommér - The Water-Sprite and Ägir’s Daughters, 1850

 

Nils Jakob Olsson Blommér - The Water-Sprite and Ägir’s Daughters, 1850
oil on canvas, 114 cm x 147 cm
Nationalmuseum Stockholm

Joseph Mallord William Turner - The New Moon; or, Ive lost My Boat, You shan’t have Your Hoop, 1840

 

Joseph Mallord William Turner - The New Moon; or, Ive lost My Boat, You shan’t have Your Hoop, 1840
oil on mahagony, 65,4 x 81,3 cm
Tate, London

Ivan Aivazovsky - Ship by Moonlight, late 19th century

 

Ivan Aivazovsky - Ship by Moonlight, late 19th century
oil on canvas, 15.9 x 23.5 cm
The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Aivazovsky was a celebrated painter of seascapes. He preferred to depict sailing ships, but sometimes portrayed modern steamships like this one. The artist’s affinity for the ocean began in his birthplace, the Black Sea port of Feodosia (Theodosia) in Crimea, then part of the Russian Empire and now in Ukraine. As a member of the city’s longstanding Armenian community, Aivazovsky had a rich cultural and linguistic background. He worked and exhibited widely, including in cities in present-day Armenia, Georgia, Italy, Russia, Turkey, and mainland Ukraine, but he remained rooted in Feodosia (Theodosia). The museum that he opened in the city in 1880 was the third public art gallery in the Russian Empire.

Ivan Aivazovsky - Shipping In Moonlight, 1853

Ivan Aivazovsky - Shipping In Moonlight, 1853

Emilios Prosalentis (1859-1926) - Ships By Moonlight

Emilios Prosalentis (1859-1926) - Ships By Moonlight 
oil on board, 31 x 45.5 cm

Ivan Aivazovsky (Russian, 1817-1900) - Moonlight

Ivan Aivazovsky (Russian, 1817-1900) - Moonlight 

Carl Locher (Danish, 1851-1915) - Night atmosphere at sea. Full moon

 

Carl Locher (Danish, 1851-1915) - Night atmosphere at sea. Full moon 
oil on canvas mounted on paperboard, 28 x 18 cm
Skagens Museum

Anton Melbye (1818–1875) - Mondnacht mit Dreimaster

 

Anton Melbye (1818–1875) - Mondnacht mit Dreimaster 
oil on canvas, 44 x 67.5 cm. (17.3 x 26.6 in.)
Private collection

Lilly Walther - Sea in moonlight (Meri kuuvalgel), 1918

 

Lilly Walther - Sea in moonlight (Meri kuuvalgel), 1918
Tartu Kunstimuuseum

Alfred Stevens (1823-1906) - Marine de nuit

 

Alfred Stevens (1823-1906) - Marine de nuit 

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.

Giuseppe Canella - Coastal landscape, 1840

 

Giuseppe Canella - Coastal landscape, 1840
oil on canvas, 55.5 cm (21.8 in) x 68.5 cm (26.9 in)

William Holman Hunt (1827-1910) - Homeward Bound (The Pathless Waters)

 

 William Holman Hunt (1827-1910) - Homeward Bound (The Pathless Waters)
Watercolour with traces of pencil and scratching out 25.5 x 17.5cm., 10 x 7in.
Private collection

George Henry Andrews - Fishing boats in moonlight, 1869

 

George Henry Andrews - Fishing boats in moonlight, 1869
watercolour, graphite pencil on paper
Museum of New Zealand

George Henry Andrews (1816-1898) was a British agricultural engineer, illustrator, and watercolourist. His artistic career began when he accompanied Richard W.H. Howard-Vyse on an archaeological expedition to Egypt, serving both as engineer and eventually illustrator for Howard-Vyse’s subsequent three-volume Operations Carried on at the Pyramids of Gizeh (London, 1840-42). Back in England, Andrews worked as a book illustrator as well as for The Illustrated London News and The Graphic, and he joined the Old Watercolour Society, exhibiting regularly from 1840. As the Royal Navy Artist, Andrews joined the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) on an extensive tour of North America and Canada in 1860. 

As a watercolour artist, Andrews specialised in landscapes and marine subjects. In this, he was following an established tradition of marine landscapes that emphasised Britain’s naval history and connection to the sea. Andrews’ numerous voyages provided him with first-hand knowledge of ships and experience of the sea and changing weather conditions, which was considered necessary to succeed as a marine artist. In this example, he is portraying the dangerous conditions of sailing at night-time. The absence of details in the fishing boat at the back of the composition is a chilling reminder of the lack of visibility in dark or foggy conditions.

Carl Locher - Fishing cutters in the moonlit night, 1888

 

Carl Locher - Fishing cutters in the moonlit night, 1888
oil on canvas, 35 cm (13.7 in) x 45.5 cm (17.9 in)
Skagens Museum

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi - Daimotsu kaijō no tsuki, 1886

 

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi - Daimotsu kaijō no tsuki, 1886

William P. Chappel - Bathing Party, 1870s

 

William P. Chappel - Bathing Party, 1870s

Auguste Henri Musin (Belgian, 1852-1920) - Aurore D’hiver Sur La Meuse

 

Auguste Henri Musin (Belgian, 1852-1920) - Aurore D’hiver Sur La Meuse