A Rough Surf

Working in oil on canvas, William Trost Richards painted this marine scene capturing the power of breaking waves along the American coast. The spray, foam, and motion of the sea are rendered with the near-photographic precision that characterized his mature seascapes.

Richards began as a landscape painter but later specialized in marine subjects, often standing in the water to capture waves at their most dramatic. His luminist approach to light and atmosphere influenced later American marine painters. His works are in major museums including the Metropolitan and National Gallery.