Artwork
Arrest of a Poacher
Arrest of a Poacher is an oil painting by Charles Meer Webb. It dates from 1872 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
About this work
Overview
Arrest of a Poacher is an oil on canvas executed around 1872 by American artist Charles Meer Webb. The work is part of the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, where it is displayed among the institution’s 19th‑century American paintings.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures a tense moment in which a poacher, cloaked in a dark hat and coat, is confronted by a group of men seated around a table. One figure gestures toward the intruder while another watches with keen interest, suggesting a narrative of law enforcement and rural conflict within a dimly lit interior.
Technique & Style
Webb employs a pronounced chiaroscuro scheme, contrasting deep shadows with focused illumination to heighten the drama of the scene. The oil medium allows for subtle modeling of flesh and fabric, while the stark light‑dark juxtaposition creates a three‑dimensional sense of space and intensifies the emotional charge of the encounter.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1872, the painting entered the Museum of Fine Arts Boston’s holdings at an unspecified date and remains in its permanent collection. Its presence in the museum underscores the institution’s commitment to preserving examples of American genre painting from the post‑Civil War era.
Artist & collection
