Blue-Winged Teal
Artist
Unknown
CultureAmerican
Dateca. 1830
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsOverall: 26 3/4 x 34 3/4 in. (67.9 x 88.3 cm)
Overall, Frame: 35 3/4 x 42 3/4 in. (90.8 x 108.6 cm)
Overall, Frame: 35 3/4 x 42 3/4 in. (90.8 x 108.6 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number50.41.2
Not on view
Label TextBlue-Winged Teal, ca. 1830
American
Oil on canvas
Seated on an overturned boat, the gentleman in the colorful patterned coat is likely a self-portrait of this painting’s unidentified creator. Nearby a party of hunters admires their catch: a blue-winged teal. This scene unfolds on the banks of the Elizabeth River near Swimming Point in Portsmouth. Looking east we see the brick warehouses of Norfolk’s waterfront. Warships with gunports visible on their sides crisscross the harbor, evidence of the Navy’s long presence in the local economy. The Dismal Swamp Canal, completed in 1805 and deepened in 1829, further secured Norfolk’s importance as a center of shipping and trade.
Museum purchase, Norfolk Newspapers’ Art Trust Fund 50.41.2
Exhibition HistoryMyers House/Upper Hall
"American Treasures at the Willoughby-Baylor House," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, January 2 - December 1, 2013.
"The Norfolk Rooms," Willoughby-Baylor House, Norfolk, VA, opened August 16, 2014.
