Shipwreck 1803 - 1889

"Shipwreck" is a pencil drawing by Robert Walter Weir depicting a dramatic scene of a sinking ship. This small-scale work, completed between 1803 and 1889, likely served as a preparatory study for a larger painting. Weir, an American artist known for his historical and genre paintings, captures the panic and despair of the figures witnessing the disaster in a minimalist style, employing subtle shading to emphasize their expressions and the distance of the sinking vessel. The composition, dominated by a vast expanse of sky and water, highlights the insignificance of humanity in the face of nature's power. The drawing resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.