Whaler off the Vineyard – Outward Bound

William Bradford, Whaler off the Vineyard--Outward Bound, 1859, oil on fiberboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1978.72
William Bradford, Whaler off the Vineyard--Outward Bound, 1859, oil on fiberboard, 16 x 24 in. (40.7 x 61.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1978.72
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Artwork Details

Title
Whaler off the Vineyard – Outward Bound
Artist
Date
1859
Location
Dimensions
16 x 24 in. (40.7 x 61.0 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on fiberboard
Classifications
Subjects
  • Occupation — industry — fishing
  • Travel — water — boat
  • Waterscape — sea — Atlantic Ocean
  • Architecture — boat — sailing ship
  • Landscape — Massachusetts — Martha’s Vineyard
Object Number
1978.72
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1978.72

Artwork Description

William Bradford is best known for his paintings of the Arctic, but his early work focused on the ships of New England. He grew up near New Bedford, Massachusetts, which was home to a successful whaling industry. In this image, he painted a large whaling ship with a smaller schooner sailing in the foreground, and the cliffs of Gay Head, Martha's Vineyard, in the background. This area was the standard route for whalers entering and leaving the port of New Bedford. Bradford emphasized the smallest details in this sweeping seascape, from the ripples in the sails to the suspenders on the sailors.

Works by this artist (4 items)

Richard Merkin, Gertrude and George, 1979, pastel on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation, 1985.30.45, © 1979, Richard Merkin
Gertrude and George
Artist
Date1979
pastel on paper
Not on view
Richard Merkin, Madame Bricktop Sees Saint Martin Go through the Room, 1972, tempera on paper mounted on fiberboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation, 1986.6.63
Madame Bricktop Sees Saint Martin Go through the Room
Artist
Date1972
tempera on paper mounted on fiberboard
Not on view
Richard Merkin, Cafe Megalomania, 1979, charcoal and tempera on paper mounted on board, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation, 1985.30.44
Cafe Megalomania
Artist
Date1979
charcoal and tempera on paper mounted on board
Not on view
Richard Merkin, Valentino by Mencken, 1972, acrylic and crayon on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation, 1986.6.64
Valentino by Mencken
Artist
Date1972
acrylic and crayon on paper
Not on view

Audio

Stop 196: Whaler off the Vineyard--Outward Bound

Whaler off the Vineyard--Outward Bound
1892, oil on fiberboard

WILLIAM BRADFORD
Born: Fairhaven, Massachusetts 1823– Died: New York, New York

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