Chris Calle: Ship's Figurehead

Artist: Chris Calle
1961 -
Nationality: American
Artwork Year: 1985
Image Size: 18.375 by 13.25 inches
Overall Size: 23 by 16.25 inches
Medium: Mixed Media on Hot Press Illustration Board


Of all woodcrafts, those used in shipbuilding rank among the oldest arts - and certainly one of the most vital to progress in America from colonial days onward. Some of the finest examples of a shipbuilder's artistic expression could be found in the figureheads which graced the bows of ships. The figureheads these craftsmen carved performed no useful function, yet rarely was a ship lacking one. The tradition of ship's figureheads dates back to the early Mediterranean explorers, the Phoenicians. The custom of creating and placing figureheads below the bowsprit was continued by shipbuilders in the New World, and after the Revolution, in the new United States. Early American figurehead carvings featured slightly larger that life-sized animals and women, but as the United States became a proud, independent nation, heroes of the Revolution and American folk heroes were also skillfully carved.

This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood® First Day of Issue Maximum Card for the U.S. 22¢ Ship's Figurehead stamp issued October 1, 1986.

Artwork Copyright © 1985 Unicover Corporation. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Images of the Artwork may be watermarked and/or digitally watermarked. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the copyright.
Our Stock Number (SKU): XB10077 US$ Price: $1,100.00

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