Object Details
- Artist
- William Bradford, born Fairhaven, MA 1823-died New York City 1892
- Luce Center Label
- 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.
- Credit Line
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase
- 1859
- Object number
- 1978.72
- Restrictions & Rights
- CC0
- Type
- Painting
- Medium
- oil on fiberboard
- Dimensions
- 16 x 24 in. (40.7 x 61.0 cm)
- See more items in
- Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
- Department
- Painting and Sculpture
- On View
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, 10A
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Topic
- Architecture\boat\sailing ship
- Occupation\industry\fishing
- Travel\water\boat
- Waterscape\sea\Atlantic Ocean
- Landscape\Massachusetts\Martha's Vineyard
- Record ID
- saam_1978.72
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk73bd98db8-8113-4a79-91ba-a0f54afa9efc
