Richard Estes remains the leading figure in photorealist painting, skillfully transforming ordinary subjects into captivating visual narratives. Staten Island Ferry Docking Manhattan exemplifies Estes' enduring fascination with travel and transportation hubs, especially within his beloved New York City. Estes established his career in the 1960s when he embarked on painting hard-edged portrayals of the New York Cityscape—a tradition he continues today. The buildings gracing the upper left section of the painting encapsulate Estes's hallmark technique of fusing multiple views of building facades, reflective surfaces, and windows that introduce additional complexity. In 1976, Estes began his exploration into painting views of water. In Estes's urban landscapes, including the present painting, water is often juxtaposed with a smaller scale, distant city, and side views of boats or docks. This artistic device curbs the encroachment of water's expressive and abstract traits from permeating his hyper-realist paintings.