The Spouting Whale

William Morris Hunt, The Spouting Whale, ca. 1870, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William T. Evans, 1911.8.2
William Morris Hunt, The Spouting Whale, ca. 1870, oil on canvas, 2016 18 in. (50.940.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William T. Evans, 1911.8.2
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Artwork Details

Title
The Spouting Whale
Date
ca. 1870
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
2016 18 in. (50.940.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of William T. Evans
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Waterscape — sea
  • Waterscape — boat
  • Animal — whale
Object Number
1911.8.2

Artwork Description

William Morris Hunt turned his attention to landscape painting during the 1870s, and he traveled as far south as Florida, as far west as Mexico, and north to 'Niagara Falls' in search of great views. Many of his canvases from this time, such as this image of The Spouting Whale, are painted loosely, with broad brushstrokes and indistinct forms. The cloudy sky dominates the image, in which we can just make out a geyser of water from a whale below the surface. Although we cannot see the great creature, Hunt conveyed the whale's power in the dark shadows of the choppy water and the vivid contrasts in the sky. The image evokes a sense of foreboding, as if the whale might surge out of the water at any moment. The Spouting Whale conveys the drama of the seas at a time when many American painters, such as Frederic Edwin Church and Martin Johnson Heade, embarked on voyages to new frontiers.

Works by this artist (7 items)

William Morris Hunt, Violet Girl, 1857, lithograph with tint stone on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1974.16.2
Violet Girl
Date1857
lithograph with tint stone on paper
Not on view
William Morris Hunt, The Fortune Teller, ca. 1857-1858, lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1968.81
The Fortune Teller
Dateca. 1857-1858
lithograph on paper
Not on view
William Morris Hunt, Girl at the Fountain, ca. 1857, lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1980.67.7
Girl at the Fountain
Dateca. 1857
lithograph on paper
Not on view
William Morris Hunt, Portrait of Agnes Elizabeth Claflin, 1873, oil on canvas mounted on fiberboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1985.27
Portrait of Agnes Elizabeth Claflin
Date1873
oil on canvas mounted on fiberboard
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Louis M. Eilshemius, Pale Blue Landscape, n.d., oil on paper mounted on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Emil J. Arnold, 1967.56.6
Pale Blue Landscape
Daten.d.
oil on paper mounted on paperboard
Not on view
George Catlin, Round Island, a Warrior, 1831, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.265
Round Island, a Warrior
Date1831
oil on canvas
Not on view
George Catlin, Men-són-se-ah, Left Hand, a Warrior, 1830, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.255
Men-són-se-ah, Left Hand, a Warrior
Date1830
oil on canvas
Not on view