Who painted Men in a Rowboat?

Men in a Rowboat was painted by James Goodwyn Clonney in 1845.

Where can I see Men in a Rowboat?

Men in a Rowboat is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Men in a Rowboat?

Men in a Rowboat is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Men in a Rowboat

James Goodwyn Clonney , 1845

Men in a Rowboat is an ink drawing by the Romanticist artist James Goodwyn Clonney. It dates from 1845 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1845, *Men in a Rowboat* is a small black‑ink wash drawing on wove paper by James Goodwyn Clonney, an English‑born artist who worked in the United States as a genre painter and lithographer. The work measures only a few inches and presents a quiet river scene that invites close inspection.

Subject & Meaning

The composition features two men—one standing, one seated—sharing a modest rowboat on calm water. By placing a white and a black figure together in an equal, cooperative activity, Clonney subtly comments on interracial relations, suggesting a vision of parity that was uncommon in mid‑nineteenth‑century visual culture.

Technique & Style

Clonney employed a loose, sketch‑like approach, using quick ink washes and cross‑hatching to suggest form and shadow. The lines are fluid and economical, rendering the boat’s simple hull and the figures’ posture with minimal detail. The paper’s yellowed tone, likely the result of age, enhances the work’s muted, documentary quality.

History & Provenance

The drawing belongs to a body of Clonney’s smaller works, many of which were produced as studies or portable pieces for private collectors. While specific ownership records are scarce, the piece has remained within the artist’s documented oeuvre, illustrating his consistent interest in everyday scenes that blend genre narrative with social observation.