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Open 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Visit
Open today 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Admission is always free

6th and Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20565

Sculpture Garden Extended Hours

Open late until 8:00 p.m. on select nights
Starting June 3
Exhibitions & Events
Featured event:

Block Party
Join us June 6
Art & Artists
Open Call

Artists Reimagining the Collection
Meet the 50 makers selected from more than 1,600 submissions

The Whiteness of the Whale

c. 1967

Benton Murdoch Spruance

Associated Names

Benton Spruance

Artist, American, 1904 - 1967

The image displays a powerful wave with swirling motion seen from above. The horizon is barely visible through the scene. The brushstrokes are fluid, depicting movement and energy. The color palette is monochromatic with shades of black, white, and grey, highlighting the wave's texture. The background is more subdued, suggesting calmness beyond the wave's turbulence.

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Artwork overview

Medium

gouache
Credit Line

Rosenwald Collection
Dimensions

overall: 56 x 76.5 cm (22 1/16 x 30 1/8 in.)
Accession Number

1968.24.3
Series Title

Moby Dick, The Passion of Ahab: preliminary drawing

Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

1982

Lessing J. Rosenwald: Tribute to a Collector, NGA, 1982, no. 77, repro.

Bibliography

1982

Fine, Ruth E. Lessing J. Rosenwald: Tribute to a Collector. Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art, 1982, no. 77.

Wikidata ID

Q64537263

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