The artwork titled “So the Treasure Was Divided” is a 1905 illustration by the artist Howard Pyle. This piece falls within the Romanticism art movement and is genre-specific to illustration.
The artwork portrays a vivid scene of pirates dividing their treasure on a sandy shore, providing a narrative element characteristic of Romanticism’s focus on drama and emotion. The group of pirates is depicted in a semi-circle, each pirate engaged in the activity of sorting and counting the loot. The attire of the characters, with bandanas, sashes, and tattered clothes, immerses the observer in the historical fantasy of pirate lore. The use of light and composition draws the viewer’s focus towards the central figures, emphasizing the momentous nature of the division of treasure. The background features a minimalistic landscape, suggesting a remote and lawless environment.