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Fritz Georg Melbye (1826–1869), Denmark
Off Caracas, Venezuela
, 1853
Oil on canvas
Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros

Trained as a marine painter in Denmark, the restless Melbye left home in 1849 for Saint Thomas and Venezuela, where he painted landscapes and seascapes for European audiences. This view is just off the coast of La Guaira, the port city that serves as a gateway to Caracas. Melbye was known for his friendship with the artist Camille Pissarro, whose work is also on view in this exhibition, and it is thought that he influenced Pissarro’s use of color.

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