1846, J.M.W. Turner, Whalers (Boiling Blubber) Entangled in Flaw Ice, Endeavouring to Extricate Themselves -- Tate Britain (London)
From the museum label: Whaling was a major British industry in Turner's lifetime. Modernising cities used whale oil to light streets, and factories used it for oiling machinery. Whalers heated blubber to make oil. As Turner's title indicates, this could also melt ice that had trapped whaling ships. The subject allowed Turner to show off his skill in creating atmospheric effects, from the glow of the fire on the left to the pale sunlight illuminating icebergs in the centre. Turner exhibited four paintings of whaling at the Royal Academy. He hoped, but ultimately failed, to sell these to a patron of his, Elhanan Bicknell, an investor in whaling industry.
1846, J.M.W. Turner, Whalers (Boiling Blubber) Entangled in Flaw Ice, Endeavouring to Extricate Themselves -- Tate Britain (London)
From the museum label: Whaling was a major British industry in Turner's lifetime. Modernising cities used whale oil to light streets, and factories used it for oiling machinery. Whalers heated blubber to make oil. As Turner's title indicates, this could also melt ice that had trapped whaling ships. The subject allowed Turner to show off his skill in creating atmospheric effects, from the glow of the fire on the left to the pale sunlight illuminating icebergs in the centre. Turner exhibited four paintings of whaling at the Royal Academy. He hoped, but ultimately failed, to sell these to a patron of his, Elhanan Bicknell, an investor in whaling industry.