The Elephant Who Was Fond of Watermelon

Object Details

Artist

John William ("Uncle Jack") Dey, born Phoebus, VA 1912-died Richmond, VA 1978

Luce Center Label

In this painting, "Uncle Jack" Dey has created a brightly colored, imaginative scene by taking animals from different parts of the world and placing them in the same setting. Despite the somewhat whimsical title, the unusually large crows circling overhead and the elephant charging at the man give the painting an ominous feeling. Dey traced the crows, rabbits, and deer onto the canvas with a template, which accounts for their precise shape and size. The log cabin in the background and tree stumps in the foreground recall the artist's days as a lumberjack in Maine.

Credit Line

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of David L. Davies

1970s

Object number

1992.37.5

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Painting

Folk Art

Medium

enamel on masonite

Dimensions

18 3/4 x 30 3/4 in. (47.6 x 78.1 cm.)

See more items in

Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection

Department

Painting and Sculpture

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Topic

Animal\bird

Figure male\full length

Animal\elephant

Landscape\plant\watermelon

Architecture Exterior\domestic\house

Record ID

saam_1992.37.5

Metadata Usage (text)

Not determined

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk77d43e68c-3527-48d5-bff5-82885b97c058