Armin Carl Hansen (1886?1957) sought to capture the raw power and vitality of the Pacific and those who sailed it, rather than the beauty of the ocean's light and color for its own sake. Often described as Impressionist, Hansen's art departed from the calm beauty that characterized the style, even though he used bold colors and, at times, broken brushstrokes. At heart a storyteller, Hansen sought subjects that were broadly consequential, depicting scenes, characters, and activities specific to the Monterey Bay region but that conveyed universal themes of physical labor, hardship, danger, bravery, and loss. He rendered these scenes in oil, on the etching plate, and in watercolor, charcoal, and pastel. Armin Hansen: The Artful Voyage presents over 200 reproductions and photographs, as well as a detailed biography and chronology, depicting Hansen's artistic legacy and his love for Monterey's fishermen and the setting in which they worked.
