John A. Noble – New York in Stone and Saltwater

On April 4, 2025, the exhibition John A. Noble: New York in Stone and Saltwater will open. The public will see around thirty lithographs by the American artist John Alexander Noble (1913-1983), created in the period from 1949 until the artist's death.

Norsk Maritimt Museum

04. Apr – 26 .Oct 2025

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Pied et Paquebot, 1974. Second lithography in the series A Downtown Trilogy. Reproduced with permission from The Estate of John A. Noble/ The Noble Maritime Collection

John A. Noble became known for his distinctive maritime art. He depicted life on the last schooners that transported goods on the East Coast of the United States. Based on New York's ship boneyards, he created striking and symbolic compositions. The hulks that crumble in the water become metaphors for the passing of time, and the life that arises and perishes with it.

Noble's lithographs show a slightly different New York than most people know. Here, the skyscrapers of Manhattan are often distant silhouettes. What happens on and by the water is in focus. Several of the motifs can be seen from the deck, or from the water's edge. With a rowboat, camera and pencils, Noble was constantly looking for motifs in the harbor basin. But he was also a fully trained sailor, who first went to sea at the age of 17.

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Outer Jib, 1948, John A. Noble, from the series Schooner's Progress The Estate of John A. Noble/The Noble Maritime Collection
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Ghost of a Bygone Ferry, 1973, John A. Noble, from the series Downtown Trilogy #1 The Estate of John A. Noble/The Noble Maritime Collection
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John A. Noble in his houseboat studio, 1948. Photo by Frank Rino (New York Journal American), reproduced with permission from The Noble Maritime Collection, USA

John A. Noble's work shows a deep respect for the working people of the sea. His work may contain a romantic approach, but he strongly opposed any nostalgia bereft of realism.

The exhibition is a collaboration between a collector of Noble's art who lives in Norway, and The Noble Maritime Collection, Staten Island, New York.

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The Noble Maritime Collection

Graphic arts workshop and conversation about John A. Noble

Join a Graphic Arts Workshop for children and adults, and listen to collector Matt Goodheart in conversation about Noble’s fascinating works.

Art Talk with Collector Matt Goodheart

Collector Matt Goodheart in conversation with Project Manager and Senior Curator Eyvind Bagle about why he began collecting works by John A. Noble. The conversation will be in English.

Graphic Arts Workshop

Welcome to our Graphic Arts Workshop! Join us and create your own bold, salt-infused artworks inspired by John A. Noble’s techniques! Together, we’ll build a large print exhibition at the museum!