Skip to main contentProvenanceThe artist
Margo Pollins Schab, Inc., New York, New York
Terra Foundation for the Arts Collection, Chicago, Illinois, 1996
Exhibition HistoryPublished References
Gifford Beal
(American, 1879–1956)
The Swordfisherman
c. 1930
Etching and drypoint on ivory laid paper
Plate: 9 1/16 x 11 7/8 in. (23.0 x 30.2 cm)
Sheet: 11 3/8 x 15 15/16 in. (28.9 x 40.5 cm)
Mat: 16 x 20 in. (40.6 x 50.8 cm)
Sheet: 11 3/8 x 15 15/16 in. (28.9 x 40.5 cm)
Mat: 16 x 20 in. (40.6 x 50.8 cm)
Credit LineTerra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection
Object number1996.76
SignedIn graphite, lower right margin: Gifford Beal
InterpretationHarpoon poised in anticipation, a fisherman stands precariously on the bowsprit of a sailing vessel, wedged against taut cables that provide a minimum of security. The collapsed sails, lowered to slow the boat for the kill, contrast with the man's erect posture. The powerful diagonal composition silhouettes him against the expanse of sky, his gaze and attention focused, like his weapon, downward toward the waves and his unseen prey. Beal manipulated intaglio lines and plate tone to contrast the strong diagonals of the boat cables and the man's form with the less prominent sea evoked by a few wispy lines.
In 1921, Beal, who lived and worked primarily in New York City, began to spend summers on the Massachusetts coast, first on Cape Cod and later in Rockport on Cape Ann. These coastal experiences and his first-hand exposure to the rugged life of fishermen inspired numerous paintings, watercolors, and prints, including this image and his Pulling in the Nets #1 (TF 1996.77). Indeed, the print The Swordfisherman relates to several paintings by Beal of the same subject.
In 1921, Beal, who lived and worked primarily in New York City, began to spend summers on the Massachusetts coast, first on Cape Cod and later in Rockport on Cape Ann. These coastal experiences and his first-hand exposure to the rugged life of fishermen inspired numerous paintings, watercolors, and prints, including this image and his Pulling in the Nets #1 (TF 1996.77). Indeed, the print The Swordfisherman relates to several paintings by Beal of the same subject.
Margo Pollins Schab, Inc., New York, New York
Terra Foundation for the Arts Collection, Chicago, Illinois, 1996
Exhibition History
The People Work: American Perspectives, 1840–1940 (Le Travail à l'oeuvre: les artistes américains 1840–1940), Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, March 15–May 25, 2003; Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France, June 8–August 17, 2003. [exh. cat.]
Bourguignon, Katherine M. and Elizabeth Kennedy. The People Work: American Perspectives, 1840–1940. (exh. cat., Terra Museum of American Art). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 2003. Text pp. 17, 27 (checklist); ill. p. 50 (color). [specific to Terra print]
Bourguignon, Katherine M. and Elizabeth Kennedy. Le Travail à l'oeuvre: les artistes américains, 1840–1940. (exh. cat., Terra Museum of American Art). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 2003. Text pp. 17, 27 (checklist); ill. p. 50 (color). [specific to Terra print]
Bourguignon, Katherine M. and Elizabeth Kennedy. Le Travail à l'oeuvre: les artistes américains, 1840–1940. (exh. cat., Terra Museum of American Art). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 2003. Text pp. 17, 27 (checklist); ill. p. 50 (color). [specific to Terra print]