The focus of this post is rowing art. Here, you’ll find beautiful paintings and photos.
Keep scrolling to discover present-day artists online as well as famous work from art history.
For example, below is a photo from 1886 of a laborer returning home after harvesting straw:
Current Rowing Artwork (Artist Highlights)
Let’s start with current artists. They may be gaining recognition, building careers, or selling artwork.
You can support them with a visit to their page, so go ahead if you are interested (and then come back to artfulnotebook).
Anthony Conway – Rowing Art
The rowing art below is the work of Anthony Conway, a fine artist in the American Realist tradition.
In this painting, Conway captures the moment after a race when athletes are exhausted until they catch their breath again.
Link to: Anthony Conway’s LinkedIn page
Artists With Their Own Websites
Theo Howard – Rowing Art
Rowing was a great and formative experience for artist, Theo Howard. He captures the experiences of rowing in his colorful paintings at rowingartist.com, just a click away.
Isham Martin – Rowing Art
Isham Martin, from Round Pond, Maine, is an artist and writer who gained appreciation for the sport when his sons became rowers. To see his rowing art style, find his oil paintings and prints at rowinginoil.com.
More art on artist websites:
You can find many more artists who choose to have profiles on art websites rather than creating their own sites. For example:
- Darrel Rhea at behance.net – Water and sunlight are strong elements in this work. I like the sense of movement in the piece called Heading Home.
Rowing art on Pinterest:
I encourage you to visit the artfulnotebook/Rowing Art board on Pinterest to launch into more examples of beautiful and interesting rowing art.
Historic Rowing Artwork (In the Public Domain)
*presented in chronological order by artist birth year
Rowing has been around for a very long time.
Much of the rowing-themed artwork throughout the section below is 100+ years old.
Please scroll on to see artists presented chronologically by birth date.
If you like an artist, be sure to click on additional painting titles. More artwork will display.
Winslow Homer – Rowing Art
Born in 1836, Winslow Homer was a realist artist. A painter and printmaker, Homer was known for his marine subjects.
Originally an oil painter, he discovered watercolor painting later in his career and then watercolors became a passion.
Another change in style occurred when he moved to Maine. Previously a Civil War painter, Winslow Homer’s focus shifted on the sea.
Each of the below Winslow Homer paintings, of course, are examples of rowing art.
I selected the introductory photo below because I particularly like the orange tones and the peaceful evening feeling.
More rowing-themed art by Homer – Click the title to view in a new window:
- Gloucester Harbor (blue)
- Gloucester Harbor (orange)
- The Fog Warning
- Two Boys Rowing
- Three Boys in a Dory with Lobster Pots
Claude Monet – Rowing Art
Claude Monet was a founder of French Impressionist painting. He was born in 1840 and continued to paint almost until his death. The historic rowing below scene is on the Epte river, near his Monet’s home and garden in Giverny, France. Many people would agree that Monet’s paintings are beautiful and exceptional.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir – Rowing Art
Born in1841, Pierre-Auguste Renoir was an important Impressionist painter. His paintings are known for their vibrant light and saturated color. One of his most famous paintings is Luncheon of the Boating Party. Although not pictured below (and not directly a rowing painting), it represents a culture around water and boating.
More rowing-themed art by Renoir – Click the title to view in a new window:
Thomas Eakins– Rowing Art
Thomas Eakins was an realist painter, photographer, and sculptor who was born in 1844. Many of his subjects were the people of Philadelphia. Eakins was also a fine arts educator. He began to receive recognition late in life and is now regarded as a highly important realist artist.
Eakins’ work is a shift away from the Impressionist technique displayed earlier in this post, towards a painting style more like a photo.
More art by Eakins – Click the title to view in a new window:
- The Champion Single Sculls (Max Schmitt in a Single Scull)
- The Biglin Brothers Turning the Stake
- John Biglin in a Single Scull
- The Oarsmen (The Schreiber Brothers)
- Oarsmen on the Schuykill
Gustave Caillebotte – Rowing Art
Born in 1848, Gustave Caillebotte was an Impressionist painter who tended toward a more realistic style than his contemporaries.
His most famous painting is Paris Street, Rainy Day, which depicts a scene of pedestrians in Paris walking under umbrellas. You probably know it.
More art by Caillebotte – – Click the title to view in a new window:
Peter Henry Emerson – Rowing Art
Peter Henry Emerson was a photographer who aimed for a straightforward style and focused on capturing country life, with rowing as one of his interests. He pushed against the ideas of the photographic establishment at the time, as he believed in a truthful, realistic, and uncontrived approach. He was born in 1856. In addition to the photo below, the black and white photo near the top of the page is another Emerson photo.
Alfred Sisley – Rowing Art
A British painter who spent most of his life in France, Alfred Sisley was born in 1839. He was very dedicated to Impressionistic en plein air (outdoor) painting.
The painting below shows a rowing race scene, or regatta.
Henry Scott Tuke – Rowing Art
Henry Scott Tuke, born in 1858, was a painter and photographer. An impressionist, and painter of male nudes. Rivière was also a maritime painter.
More work by Tuke – Click the title to see the painting:
Hugh Goldwin Rivière – Rowing Art
Born in 1869, Hugh Goldwin Rivière was primarily a portraitist. He created several pieces of artwork focused on a rowing theme.
Paintings
Black and white illustration
- At Iffley – at heartheboatsing.com
- This link is to a post titled “The Art of Rowing” and At Iffley is the final painting in the article.
J.C.Leyendecker – Rowing Art
Born in 1874, Joseph Christian Leyendecker was an illustrator, especially known for his poster, book, and advertising illustrations. His work has a homoerotic aesthetic such as evident in his portrayal of fit rowers.
See and read more: “The Oarsmen of J.C. Leyendecker: Homeric or Homoerotic?” at heartheboatsing.com
Hibberd Van Buren Kline – Rowing Art
Born in 1885, Hibberd Van Buren Kline was an illustrator. The piece below, Pull, You Beggars, Pull, was one of a series of sports paintings for Outing magazine.
Goodwin & Company – Rowing Art
The artwork below is from a series of trading cards issues issued by Goodwin & Company in 1888. This and all 50 cards from the series are owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Thanks for visiting!
I hope you found rowing art you like, whether you were looking for current or historic pieces, and I hope you learned something new.
There’s much more rowing art out there to find.
Have fun exploring.
Published: February 18, 2023
