Artwork
The Northern Whale Fishery: The "Swan" and "Isabella"
The Northern Whale Fishery: The "Swan" and "Isabella" is an oil painting by the Romanticist artist John Ward of Hull. It dates from 1840 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition merges naturalistic detail with narrative symbolism, emphasizing the relationship between human enterprise and the harsh Arctic environment.
The painting, completed in 1840 by John Ward of Hull, portrays a whaling vessel amidst an Arctic landscape, featuring a boat, an iceberg, a seal (Phoca vitulina) and a polar bear (Ursus maritimus). These elements symbolize the perilous and lucrative nature of northern whale fishing, reflecting the era's fascination with polar exploration and the economic importance of whale oil. The composition merges naturalistic detail with narrative symbolism, emphasizing the relationship between human enterprise and the harsh Arctic environment. The accompanying inscription links the work to a documented whaling cruise, reinforcing its documentary and symbolic purpose.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on a woven canvas support. The sources do not describe the artist's brushwork, handling technique, or any specific formal qualities such as colour palette, compositional devices, or stylistic influences. Likewise, no information is provided about the painting's current condition, past conservation treatments, or any alterations to the support.
Consequently, while the material basis is established, details of execution, surface handling, and stylistic character remain undocumented in the supplied references.
History & Provenance
The Northern Whale Fishery: The "Swan" and "Isabella" was painted in 1840 by the Hull artist John Ward. Executed in oil on canvas, the work entered the family of Samuel John Talbot Hassell of Kingston upon Hull, who gifted it to his son John Gordon Talbot Hassell in February 1875. It remained in the Hassell line through successive inheritances to Joan Clements Schreiber Miller and then to her sister Evelyn Bethell, before being sold at Christie, Manson & Woods in London on 27 September 2006.
The painting subsequently passed to French and Company in New York and was acquired by the National Gallery of Art on 8 November 2007. The sources do not record any specific exhibition history for the piece.
Legacy
The painting entered the National Gallery of Art collection in 2007, following its 2006 auction, and is catalogued there as a work by John Ward. Its provenance traces through several generations of the Hassell family, reflecting sustained collector interest. As an example of early Victorian marine and Arctic subject matter, it contributes to the historical record of nineteenth-century whale fishing, and its placement in the National Gallery of Art has allowed continued public and academic attention.
Overview
The painting, titled "The Northern Whale Fishery: The 'Swan' and 'Isabella'," is an oil on canvas work that captures a specific moment within the demanding environment of Arctic whaling. It depicts two vessels, identified as the "Swan" and the "Isabella," navigating through icy waters. The artwork provides a visual record of the challenges faced by such expeditions in the northern seas, focusing on the interaction between human enterprise and the natural world.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
