Shipwreck off Nantucket In A Storm - Poster

Shipwreck off Nantucket (Wreck off Nantucket after a Storm) ca. 1860–61 is a painting by William Bradford. On August 8, 1859, the whaling ship Nantucket ran aground during the night at Nashawena Island, Massachusetts, part of the Elizabeth Islands at the entrance to Vineyard Sound. The next day, Bradford left his studio in New Bedford to observe the scene in preparation for painting this large, epic depiction of the shipwreck. He had worked alongside Albert Van Beest, who had been trained in the tradition of Dutch marine painting, and the dramatic effect of heavy seas and tilting ship show. Bradford’s impressive knowledge of seagoing vessels, however, is seen in the careful delineation of the deck of the whaler and the small craft that surround it. Although this artwork is digitally restored, the cracks and the fine lines are left intact on this painting to honor the time this painting emerged from.