Albany's Historic Whaling Station > Records

PAINTING - RISSO'S DOLPHIN

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Richard Ellis

c. 1975

Subcollections

Overview

Painting of dolphin with light grey fore-body, darker grey from dorsal fin to tail, and blunted head and snout, gouache on blue card, framed and mounted with inscription (30.)

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-RE1999.345

Item type

Artworks

Themes

Art and Design

Nature

Material

Card

Gouache

Metal

Paper

Perspex

Width

410 mm

Height or length

440 mm

Depth

15 mm

Weight

1.52 kg

Inscriptions and markings

RISSO'S DOLPHIN (Grampis griseus)
Easily identified at sea because of its high dorsal fin and beakless profile, Risso's dolphin can be found throughout the world's tropical and temperate waters. It varies in color from very light gray to almost black, but all specimens are heavily scarred and scratched. Risso's dolphins have teeth only in the lower jaw, and the forehead" (more properly known as the melon) has a unique vertical crease. Maximum length is about 13 feet. One of the most famous of all dolphins was "Pelorus Jack," a Risso's dolphin that accompanied steamers in New Zealand waters for over 20 years at the turn of the century.
30.

Verso: Smithsonian label checklist # 30 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. 1975