Albany's Historic Whaling Station > Records

PAINTING - STRAP-TOOTHED WHALE

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Richard Ellis

c. 1975

Subcollections

Overview

Painting of grey-brown dolphin-like whale with white underbelly and tooth (white) extended over snout, gouache on blue card, framed and mounted with inscription (75.)

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-RE1999.348

Item type

Artworks

Themes

Art and Design

Nature

Material

Card

Gouache

Metal

Paper

Width

410 mm

Height or length

440 mm

Depth

15 mm

Weight

1.52 kg

Inscriptions and markings

STRAP-TOOTHED WHALE (Mesoplodon layardii)
In Juvenile whales of this species, the teeth look like those of any other beaked whales; as the males mature, though, the teeth grow up and over the upper jaw until they form an arch that makes it almost impossible for the animal to open its mouth. How an animal can eat if it cannot open its mouth is one of the more perplexing mysteries surrounding the beaked whales. This species is found only in the southern hemisphere, having stranded in New Zealand, Tasmania, South Africa, and Uruguay.
75.

Verso: Smithsonian label checklist # 75 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

Richard Ellis

Albany's Historic Whaling Station

Smithsonian Institution

Marine Mammals

Place made

United States

Year

c. 1975