William Trost Richards

Unlike a landscape of mountains or other solid terrain, a seascape presents a unique challenge—the scene is always in motion. In this painting, William Trost Richards captured the energy and fluidity of breaking waves. A few details accent the scene (such as rocks in the foreground and a distant ship), but the power of water takes center stage. Richards painted subtle effects such as the translucency of the waves near their peaks, adding dimension to the scene.