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 — boat
  • Waterscape — sea
  • 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 (1 item)

Frances Lee Turner, Bulloch Hall, 1934, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1965.18.47
Bulloch Hall
Date1934
oil on canvas
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Marjorie Raiguel, Sailboat Basin, ca. 1940, watercolor and pencil on paper mounted on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, 1974.28.249
Sailboat Basin
Dateca. 1940
watercolor and pencil on paper mounted on paperboard
Not on view
Cass Gilbert, Winchester, England, 1921, watercolor, pencil and charcoal on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Emily Finch Gilbert through Julia Post Bastedo, executor, 1962.13.51
Winchester, England
Date1921
watercolor, pencil and charcoal on paper
Not on view
Owen McHugh, Unfolded #25, n.d., watercolor, gouache and pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the S. W. and B. M. Koffler Foundation, 1980.103.5
Unfolded #25
Daten.d.
watercolor, gouache and pencil on paper
Not on view
Julian Martinez, Avanyu, ca. 1923, watercolor, ink, and pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Corbin-Henderson Collection, gift of Alice H. Rossin, 1979.144.85
Avanyu
Dateca. 1923
watercolor, ink, and pencil on paper
Not on view