The Derelict, or the Lost Boat (1916): Art, History and Details

The Derelict, or the Lost Boat (1916) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Arthur Wesley Dow (American, 1857–1922).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

The American artist Arthur Wesley Dow was an influential teacher, emphasizing the study of line, color, and form rather than direct observation from nature. Works such as this print, which depicts an abandoned rowboat, were inspired by Dow’s admiration for the flattened style of Japanese prints. He experimented by inking his woodblock with different combinations of color, often resulting in virtually unique impressions.

Object facts

• Title: The Derelict, or the Lost Boat
• Date: 1916
• Creator attribution: Arthur Wesley Dow (American, 1857–1922)
• Culture: 20th century
• Type: Print
• Technique: color woodcut on Japanese paper
• Dimensions: Image: 14.6 x 10.1 cm (5 3/4 x 4 in.); Sheet: 17.6 x 13.4 cm (6 15/16 x 5 1/4 in.)
• Collection: PR - Woodcut
• Department: Prints
• Accession number: 2018.1070

A detail from the museum

Dow inked his woodblock with different colors each time he printed, resulting in unique variations of the same image.

Collection credit

Gift of James and Hanna Bartlett

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.