The Coast 1870 - 1900

Alfred Thompson Bricher made this small drawing called 'The Coast', at an unknown date, using pen and ink. Bricher was one of many 19th-century American artists whose seascapes echoed the growing national interest in coastal landscapes. As industrialization and urbanization intensified, depictions of nature became associated with ideas about purity and the sublime. These ideas were reflected in the organization of institutions that promoted and displayed landscape painting, such as the National Academy of Design, where Bricher exhibited frequently. The size of this sketch suggests it might have been made quickly in preparation for a larger painting. But it can also stand on its own as a symbol of nature, framed and contained by the artist. Art historians consider how such images reflect the values of their time. Researching exhibition records, artists' letters, and period writings can help us understand the cultural meanings invested in landscape imagery.