Albany's Historic Whaling Station > Records

PAINTING - KILLER WHALE

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Richard Ellis

c. 1985

Subcollections

Overview

Painting of killer whale, black with white underbelly and markings and large dorsal fin, gouache on blue card, framed and mounted with inscription (36.)

Historical information

Collection of 106 of paintings by Richard Ellis that were selected by the Smithsonian Institution to form a traveling exhibit of the marine mammals of the world. The collection was purchased by Perth businessman Kevin Parry in 1985 and donated to Whale World, now known as Albany's Historic Whaling Station.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-128-RE1999.335

Item type

Themes

Material

Width

410 mm

Height or length

440 mm

Depth

15 mm

Weight

1.52 kg

Inscriptions and markings

KILLER WHALE (Orcinus orca)
The most widely distributed of all cetaceans, the killer whale is found throughout the oceans of the world, from the poles to the tropics in both hemispheres. Males can reach a length of 30 feet (females only 26), making them by far the largest of the dolphins. They are easily distinguished at sea by the high, triangular dorsal fin of the males, sometimes reaching a height of 6 feet. (Females and juveniles have a much smaller, more curved dorsal.) Killer whales are among the oceans' top predators, feeding on everything from fish and squid to seals, sea lions, dolphins, and even the great whales. They are fast, powerful, and intelligent, but they are surprisingly docile and cooperative in captivity. Fortunately, despite its name there is not a single authenticated report of a killer whale attack on humans in the wild; even in captivity, under much provocation, killers have shown a remarkable tolerance for the provocative-and often foolish- behavior of humans.
36.

Verso: Smithsonian label checklist # 36 Packing case # 3, AWHS accession number

Contextual information

The paintings represent a body of work by well-known American marine conservationist, author, artist and natural historian Richard Ellis (1938-2024).

Keywords

Richard Ellis

Albany's Historic Whaling Station

Smithsonian Institution

Marine Mammals

Place made

United States

Year

c. 1985