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Albany's Historic Whaling Station > Records

PAINTING - SOUTHERN LION SEAL

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Richard Ellis

c. 1975

Subcollections

Richard Ellis Collection

Overview

Painting of Seal family- Large male, black faced and prominent mane of coarse hair; light red brown female with upturned head; and small dark grey pup, large flippers, gouache on blue card, framed and mounted with inscription (81.)

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

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-128-RE1999.373

Item type

Themes

Material

Width

410 mm

Height or length

440 mm

Depth

15 mm

Weight

1.52 kg

Inscriptions and markings

SOUTHERN SEA LION (Otaria flavescens)
Males of this species are distinguished by their short, upturned muzzle, and the massive neck with a "mane." Females are smaller, lighter in color, and more graceful. They are found on both coasts of southern South America. The southern sea lion is primarily a fish-eater, and it is often seen in shallow inshore waters. Latest estimates indicate that there are about 275,000 of these animals on both coasts.
81.

Verso: Smithsonian label checklist # 81 Packing case # 5, 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

Albany's Historic Whaling Station

Smithsonian Institution

Place made

United States

Year

Primary significance criteria

Artistic or aesthetic significance

Scientific or research significance

Comparative significance criteria

Object’s condition or completeness

Rare or representative

Well provenanced

Last modified

Wednesday, 15 October, 2025

Completeness

100

Copyright and Reference

Copyright and Reference

Copyright category

Other

Permissions

Reproduction or publication with Albany’s Historic Whaling Station permission only.

Copyright holder

Albany's Historic Whaling Station

Albany's Historic Whaling Station

Albany's Historic Whaling Station

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Painting of Seal family- Large male, black faced and prominent mane of coarse hair; light red brown female with upturned head; and small dark grey pup, large flippers, on blue card with inscription.

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