Shipwreck near a Rocky Coast
Thomas Birch (American, born England, 1779–1851)
1833
View the original$19
Type
Size · in
Secure checkout · powered by Stripe
Materials & printing
Archival matte paper, 189 g/m² (10.3 mil), sourced from Japan, printed with multicolor water-based inkjet so every brushstroke stays crisp. Framed prints arrive ready to hang in a .75″ ayous-wood frame with an acrylite front. Sized to standard frames by cropping, never stretching — at most about 3% comes off one edge, which isn’t noticeable on most pieces, and we only offer a size when it stays that small.
Shipping & returns
Made to order and delivered in 5–8 business days (2–4 to print, 3–4 in transit). US shipping only for now. Because each print is made for your order, all sales are final — but if it arrives damaged or defective, send us a photo within 14 days and we’ll replace it free. Full policy.
Why is it this affordable?
A thin, flat margin on every piece — just enough to keep the store running. Most of what you pay is the print itself. We only sell sizes that reproduce at full quality, and we don’t mark up the large sizes the way most shops do.
About this work
Based in Philadelphia, Thomas Birch was a leading marine painter who helped establish the genre in early 19th-century America. Shipwreck near a Rocky Coast is a romantic, imaginative composition that highlights human struggle against the forces of nature: the ship’s sails are torn, its masts lean to one side, and a tiny group of seafarers attempts to flee the disaster. Birch rendered the scene in dramatic detail, yet left the narrative unresolved.
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Original size
- 51.4 × 76.8 cm (20 1/4 × 30 1/4 in.)
Museum record · 4 owners · 1 exhibition
Provenance
- Sold, Sotheby Parke-Bernet, New York, April 19–20, 1972, lot 29, as "Shipwreck".
- J. N. Bartfield Art Galleries, New York; sold to J. Verne Hawn, Shreveport, LA. Consigned to Richard York Gallery, New York, by April 1981.
- J. Verne Hawn, Shreveport, LA, to at least May 25, 1989.
- With Schwarz Gallery, Philadelphia, by 1992; sold to Richard H. Daniel, January 30, 1992; by descent to his daughter, Karen Daniel (1957–2019), Oak Park, IL, 2015; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 2018.
Exhibitions
- New York, Richard York Gallery, Inaugural Exhibition Paintings by Americans, Apr. 10–May 20, 1981, as Shipwreck.
