Timken Museum

I visited the Timken Museum in Balboa Park and the piece I was drawn to is called An American Ship in Distress, painted by Thoams Birch in 1941. I was mainly drawn to this piece due to the realism and texture of the entire painting. The ocean and wave look so real you can feel like collision as it batters this ship. I believe the image professes to show the struggle of a ship and the measures it must take in order to recover and hold down the stability of its vessel. This viewpoint is shown to show Americas struggles and our overcoming of them, especially at sea and in the early wars. I do not believe the painting was commissioned but instead created to portray a message from the artist. Everyone can be drawn to this painting due to its broad charateristic and relativity. I admire the struggles of our country and the respect artists pay to our nature, the beauty and dynamic characteristic it brings to the art world.