VISUAL ACTIVITY New York Harbor This portrait of New York harbor about 1756 illustrates the importance of Atlantic commerce to the prosperous city in the background. The painting emphasizes a variety of ocean-going ships in the foreground. During its busiest seasons, the harbor commonly had ten times as many ships at anchor, which was nearly impossible for the artist to depict. © Collection of the New-York Historical Society, USA/The Bridgeman Art Library. READING THE IMAGE: How does the painting reflect New York’s participation in Atlantic commerce? CONNECTIONS: Why were the largest and most prosperous cities in eighteenth-century America port cities?