“This energetic wood engraving transports you to a bustling 1870s beach, capturing the universal, chilly thrill of entering the ocean. Notice the vivid expressions of the bathers as waves crash around them, a snapshot of leisure and seaside fun from a bygone era.”
A lively beach scene unfolds in this wood engraving, capturing a moment of playful discomfort at Long Branch, a popular New Jersey resort. Waves crash onto the shore, sending spray into the faces of bathers who react with a mix of surprise and exhilaration. In the foreground, a woman, her dress clinging to her, recoils from the chilly water, while a man next to her braces against the surf. The artist, James H. Wheldon, skillfully uses the medium to convey the dynamic energy of the ocean and the human figures within it, from the textured foam of the waves to the expressions on the faces of the swimmers. This image, published in Every Saturday in 1871, offers a glimpse into the burgeoning culture of leisure and seaside vacations in post-Civil War America, highlighting both the novelty and the enduring appeal of a dip in the ocean.
- Artist
- James H. Wheldon
- Date
- 1871
- Medium
- Wood engraving
- Location
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Dimensions
- sheet: 10 5/16 x 14 9/16 in. (26.2 x 37 cm) block: 9 1/16 x 12 1/16 in. (23 x 30.6 cm)
- Collection
- Drawings and Prints
- Credit line
- Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1930
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.
The woman in the foreground, clutching her dress and recoiling from the cold water.
The man beside her, bracing against the incoming wave with a determined expression.
The detailed texture of the breaking waves and sea foam.
The diverse group of bathers dotting the shoreline in the background.
1 more detail is waiting.
See all 5 in Art Whisper →Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through Bathing at Long Branch "Oh, Ain't It Cold" (Every Saturday, Vol. III, New Series) — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
James H. Wheldon
1830–1895 · United Kingdom of Great Britain and IrelandJames H. Wheldon, a British painter active in the late 19th century, is known for his etching of 'Saint James the Greater'.
Further Works by Wheldon
'Diana' and 'Chase' in the Arctic
1857 · Hull Maritime Museum
Dutch Buss and Man of War
1870 · Hull Maritime Museum
SS 'Burgos'
1871 · Hull Maritime Museum
A Barque Struck by Lightning off Eddystone Lighthouse, Cornwall
Hull Maritime Museum
Hull Whaler 'Abram'
Hull Maritime Museum
Hull Whaler 'Harmony' (after William John Huggins)
Hull Maritime Museum
Ships navigating a busy channel
The 'Diana' in an Ice Dock
Hull Maritime Museum
More works to explore
Beyond Wheldon: works from the same years.
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Cart with Red and White Ox
Vincent van Gogh · 1884 · Kröller-Müller Museum
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Two Boats in a Storm
Léon-Victor Dupré · 1870 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Paris Street; Rainy Day
Kawabata Gyokushō · 1877 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1850s–1880s
The Backgammon Players
Philip Webb · 1861 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1850s–1880s
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884
Okada Saburosuke · 1884 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Apples
Gustave Courbet · 1871 · National Museum of Western Art
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Bearded Man
Mariano Fortuny Marsal · 1871 · Hispanic Society of America
Same era · 1850s–1880s
The Crystal Palace
Camille Pissarro · 1871 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1850s–1880s
The Rehearsal Onstage
Edgar Degas · 1871 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Gustave Boyer (b. 1840) in a Straw Hat
Paul Cézanne · 1870 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Impression, Sunrise
Claude Monet · 1872 · Musée Marmottan Monet
Same era · 1850s–1880s
In the Adirondacks
William Hart · 1870 · Q847508