Walrus Hunt 1801

Elizabeth Fitzgerald created this watercolor, entitled "Walrus Hunt," at the turn of the 19th century. The image depicts a scene of colonial exploitation, yet its delicate execution speaks to its place within a well-established artistic tradition. In this aquatint, Fitzgerald presents a hunting party firing upon a group of walruses from a small boat. The scene's composition, with its dramatic contrast between the hunters and their prey, constructs a narrative of human dominance over nature. This reflects the European colonial project of the time, as well as the scientific and political institutions that supported exploration and resource extraction. What did Fitzgerald intend by depicting it? Was she an advocate, a detached observer, or a critic? To understand better, we must consider the economics of natural resources, the politics of empire, and the social conventions of artistic representation. The image, like many others from this period, raises questions about the ethics of representation and the ways in which art can both reflect and shape social attitudes.