Artwork
An Incident of Whaling
An Incident of Whaling is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist William Bradford. It dates from 1857 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The depicted elements, a ship, ice, boat, and snow, illustrate the hazardous environment faced by 19th‑century whalers.
An Incident of Whaling (1857) by William Bradford depicts a whaling vessel contending with icy conditions; the composition includes a ship, a smaller boat, floating ice and a snow‑laden landscape. The work is classified as a landscape and is housed in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The canvas measures 55.9 cm in height and 91.4 cm in width, recorded in the museum’s collection data.
It was created in 1857, reflecting Bradford’s Arctic voyages. The depicted elements, a ship, ice, boat, and snow, illustrate the hazardous environment faced by 19th‑century whalers.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas in 1857, the work measures 55.9 cm in height and 91.4 cm in width. Bradford employs oil paint on a canvas support, a conventional pairing for mid-nineteenth-century American marine painting. The handling combines smooth, blended passages in the sky and ice with more assertive, textured strokes in the rigging and wave crests, producing both atmospheric recession and tactile detail.
Compositionally, the scene is anchored by a central whaling vessel, with surrounding ice and snow rendered in muted whites and grays that contrast with the darker tones of the ship. The formal structure balances documentary precision with Romantic sublimity, emphasizing the drama of human endeavor within a vast, indifferent natural world.
History & Provenance
The work titled An Incident of Whaling was painted by William Bradford in 1857 as an oil on canvas landscape depicting a whaling scene with ship, ice, boat and snow. It measures 55.9 × 91.4 cm and belongs to the American Wing collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The painting entered the museum’s holdings and has remained in its collection, establishing a clear ownership chain from the artist to the institution.
Its creation history is documented through Bradford’s activity in the mid‑19th century, and the work is classified as a landscape genre within the museum’s catalog.
Overview
William Bradford's An Incident of Whaling, painted in 1857, is an oil on canvas work housed in the American Wing. This landscape depicts a dramatic encounter in an Arctic environment, showcasing vessels navigating treacherous icy waters. The painting exemplifies Bradford's consistent engagement with maritime themes, particularly the challenging conditions faced by seafarers in their pursuit of whales.
Context
Born in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, near the whaling hub of New Bedford, William Bradford developed a profound interest in maritime subjects. As a painter, photographer, and explorer, he dedicated his career to documenting sea voyages and the challenging conditions of ocean environments. An Incident of Whaling reflects this lifelong fascination, serving as an example of his extensive body of work centered on the sea.
Artist & collection
Artist
William Bradford (April 30, 1823 – April 25, 1892) was an American romanticist painter, photographer and explorer, originally from Fairhaven, Massachusetts, near New Bedford.
