Snug Harbor by Yosei Amemiya

It’s possible that somewhere there is a “Sung Harbor” represented by this painting (the title which appears in NDG records) but it’s more likely a typographical misreading of Snug Harbor—just across the water from New York on Staten Island. Sailor’s Snug Harbor was created in 1833 via a bequest from Robert Richard Randall’s estate; merchant seamen with no pensions were given a home in an expanding campus, some of whose dormitories are perhaps depicted in the background. Amemiya manages to fit more than a dozen sailboats into his composition without it feeling cramped; a clear day and smooth waters convey evoke a sense of serenity.