 The Wreck of the Essex Peter Delman oil on canvas, 48" x 38"; $3000 Exhibited at Village West in Under the Influence |
 Whalers (1845) J.M.W. Turner Inspiration piece for Peter Delman for the Under the Influence show, Fall 2016 |
"I wanted to explore the idea of the sublime. Artists such as Fredrick Church, and
J.M.W. Turner saw in the forces of nature a terrible power that they experienced
as embodying overwhelming esthetic and spiritual intensity. A tall order in the 21st century.
I am also interested in experimenting with compositions that are more classical in feeling as in this painting with images anchored in the middle distance and its narrow color range. But I wanted to project power as well. Who accomplishes that? Why, Turner -- of course.
Turner is currently featured in two important shows in New York, "Unfinished" at the Met Breuer and "Turner's Whaling Pictures" at the Met. Those magnificent paintings are pivotal in inspiring this painting, my most recent work.
The subject of a whale turning on its tormenters is inspired by a trip this summer to the whaling grounds of Nova Scotia and the Turner paintings."
If you are interested in purchasing this work, please contact Peter Delman or visit www.peterdelman.com.