Harpooned whale with seabirds and whaler in the distance
This is a watercolour drawing done by William Lionel Wyllie. It depicts a harpooned whale with seabirds and a trawler in the distance. The whole sketch has been rendered in a rough, expressive style. In the foreground, we can see a dead whale, floating in the water. The underside of the whale is visible; this is made clear by the use of grey lines on a white background. It is difficult to distinguish other features of the whale, but area of red indicate wounds that it has sustained. Wyllie has used a black line to depict the harpoon. A second brown line may indicate a second harpoon. The sea is calm and has been rendered with a green grey hue. A darker green area below the whale is indicative of shadow. A flock of sea birds hovers above the whale carcass. Each seabird has been depicted using several brown marks. In the distance, the silhouette of a trawler can be seen against a grey sky.
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Object Details
ID: | PAD0485 |
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Collection: | Fine art |
Type: | Drawing |
Display location: | Not on display |
Creator: | Wyllie, William Lionel |
Credit: | National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Caird Collection |
Measurements: | 252 mm x 354 mm |