Blue Sail Fleet Returns

Earl Cunningham, Blue Sail Fleet Returns, after 1949, oil on fiberboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Mennello, 1988.64
Earl Cunningham, Blue Sail Fleet Returns, after 1949, oil on fiberboard, 16 1⁄2 x 36 1⁄4 in. (41.8 x 92.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Mennello, 1988.64

Artwork Details

Title
Blue Sail Fleet Returns
Artist
Date
after 1949
Location
Dimensions
16 1⁄2 x 36 1⁄4 in. (41.8 x 92.1 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Mennello
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on fiberboard
Classifications
Subjects
  • Waterscape — time — sunset
  • Waterscape — harbor
  • Animal — bird
  • Architecture — boat — sailing ship
Object Number
1988.64
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1988.64

Artwork Description

Earl Cunningham painted more than four hundred images of the sea, based on his memories of voyages up and down the East Coast. Blue Sail Fleet Returns does not show an actual location, but rather a combination of real and imaginary elements. He created a fantasy world with purple water, orange trees, and birds as large as a house, and may have included himself as one of the tiny fishermen on the pier. The sea represented freedom to Cunningham, and one of his dreams was to own a houseboat so he could live permanently on the water ("Earl Cunningham's American Eden," Gary Schwan, The Palm Beach Post, 1994, Chuck and Jan Rosenak research material, 1990-1999, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution).

Works by this artist (7 items)

View all artworks
Burgoyne Diller, Untitled, 1930, ink on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Halley K. Harrisburg and Michael Rosenfeld, 1999.85.6
Untitled
Artist
Date1930
ink on paper
Not on view
Burgoyne Diller, Untitled, 1961, graphite and crayon on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Halley K. Harrisburg and Michael Rosenfeld, 1999.85.3
Untitled
Artist
Date1961
graphite and crayon on paper
Not on view
Burgoyne Diller, Untitled, 1947, graphite and crayon on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Halley K. Harrisburg and Michael Rosenfeld, 1999.85.5
Untitled
Artist
Date1947
graphite and crayon on paper
Not on view
Burgoyne Diller, Untitled, 1948, graphite and crayon on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Halley K. Harrisburg and Michael Rosenfeld, 1999.85.1
Untitled
Artist
Date1948
graphite and crayon on paper
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Browse All Artworks
Claire Falkenstein, City is Man, 1941-1952, linocut, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.14, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
City is Man
Artist
Date1941-1952
linocut
Not on view
Claire Falkenstein, Untitled, 1976, embossed paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.18, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
Untitled
Artist
Date1976
embossed paper
Not on view
Claire Falkenstein, Mandala, 1977, lithograph, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.19, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
Mandala
Artist
Date1977
lithograph
Not on view
Image Not Available
Les Quais de la Seine a Paris
Artist
Date1917
hand-colored etching on postcard
Not on view