Radoub d'une Barque à la Marée Basse (Refitting of a Ship at Low Tide)

Eugène Isabey

Lithograph on chine collé

National Gallery of Art

This atmospheric lithograph on chine collé captures the intimate moment of a fishing vessel being repaired during low tide along the Normandy coast, rendered in Isabey's masterful dark tonal palette that evokes the moody drama of the Romantic era. Created by Eugène Isabey (1803-1886), a French painter and lithographer who was widely regarded as the finest marine artist of his time, this print is part of his celebrated 'Six Marines' series. Isabey studied the works of J.M.W. Turner during his travels to England, and his skill at rendering atmospheric subtleties in darker colors brought a distinctive grisaille-like quality to his maritime scenes that would influence future generations of artists.