Artwork
Girl Spearing Dolphin
Girl Spearing Dolphin is a charcoal drawing by the Impressionist artist Elihu Vedder. It dates from 1900 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1900, *Girl Spearing Dolphin* is a drawing by American artist Elihu Vedder. Executed in charcoal and chalk on two sheets of wove paper that have been adhered together, the work measures roughly a modest size and presents a single, dynamic scene rendered in muted tones.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows a barefoot figure crouched on a rock, poised with a spear aimed toward a dolphin that surfaces nearby. The pose, with the body turned sideways and one arm raised, suggests a moment of tension between human and animal, inviting interpretations related to mythic hunts or symbolic conflict.
Technique & Style
Vedder employs rapid, sketchy strokes that emphasize muscular form and the curve of the spear. Charcoal provides the dominant line work, while chalk adds subtle highlights, creating a scumbled texture that conveys movement and depth without detailed modeling.
History & Provenance
Elihu Vedder, known for his symbolist paintings and illustrations—most notably his work for Edward FitzGerald’s *Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam*—produced this drawing during the later phase of his career. The piece has remained in private collections, with limited exhibition history documented.
Context
The drawing reflects Vedder’s ongoing interest in allegorical subjects and his practice of integrating literary and mythological themes into visual art. The juxtaposition of a human hunter and a marine creature aligns with the symbolist tendency to explore primal instincts and existential confrontations.
Artist & collection
Artist
Elihu Vedder (26 February 1836 – 29 January 1923) was an American symbolist painter, book illustrator and poet from New York City.
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