Oil Painting or Overpainted Print, Capturing a Sperm Whale
Oil Painting or Overpainted Print, Capturing a Sperm Whale
- Description
- The most dangerous part of a dangerous job was working in the actual whaleboat, first chasing and then capturing and killing the prey.
- This picture is a copy or an overpainted example of a famous print first issued in 1835, believed to be the first indigenous American whaling print. It is derived from a sketch by whaleman Cornelius Hulsart, who lost an arm on the whaler Superior and subsequently became an artist.
- The original print was one of a pair produced to raise money for Hulsart, and it was dedicated to Superior's owners N. & W.W. Billings of New London, Connecticut. It is a fairly accurate portrayal of the danger in approaching and killing a wounded, enraged whale. As shown by the red, bloody whale spout, the whalers have struck the prey’s lungs or arteries, but the animal was still strong enough to break a boat in half and flip a crewman into the water.
- Object Name
- Painting
- Other Terms
- Painting; Pictures; Oil on Canvas
- date or original painting
- 1835
- whaleman and artist
- Hulsart, Cornelius
- owner of the ship Superior
- N & W. W. Billings
- Physical Description
- wood (frame material)
- oil paint (painting material)
- paper (painting material)
- textile (painting material)
- Measurements
- overall: 25 7/8 in x 31 5/8 in x 2 in; 65.7225 cm x 80.3275 cm x 5.08 cm
- ID Number
- DL.65.0876
- catalog number
- 65.0876
- accession number
- 256396
- Credit Line
- The Eleanor and Mabel Van Alstyne American Folk Art Collection
- Expansion and Reform
- See more items in
- Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
- Cultures & Communities
- Work
- Industry & Manufacturing
- Natural Resources
- Transportation
- Art
- Exhibition
- On the Water
- Exhibition Location
- National Museum of American History
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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