Alfred Thompson Bricher (1837-1908)

Alfred Thompson Bricher would often begin his oil studies en plein air to capture the moment's spontaneity and then return to his New York studio to complete the full-size work. Here, he depicts a seascape with tightly rendered ships and crashing waves. The energy of the waves lends immediacy and demonstrates his remarkable ability to paint surf. Indeed, he "has studied waves and can paint them. In [paintings such as this] he has shown us what he can do." (undated New York Times review, circa 1873, as quoted in J.R. Brown, Alfred Thompson Bricher, Indianapolis, 1973, p. 19)