Two rowboats approach the tail of a large whale in Thomas Hoyne’s “Flying Flukes,” created in 1986. In the distance, crews from whaling ships wait and watch. With a leg braced against the thighboard, a man in the boat at left prepares to throw his harpoon. This method of hunting was quite dangerous at the time, as the whale could pull the rowboat under the water, or so far away that the ships might not find the boat or its crew again.
Commercial whaling in the United States dates back to the 17th century, but the industry hit its peak in the 19th century. Whaling produced three major products: whale oil, spermaceti oil and whalebone. These products were used in lamps, lubricants for machinery, and textiles for women’s corsets, buggy whips, umbrella ribs and more.
Thomas Hoyne was born in 1924 in Chicago, Illinois, and died in 1989 from cancer. As a child, he spent summers in Ogunquit, Maine, where he became interested in the history of New England fishing and shipbuilding. Hoyne’s knowledge of the ocean, waves and wind grew during his time there. As he got older he befriended captains, crew members, shipbuilders and historians. His friendships brought him invaluable knowledge about ships and fishing.
Hoyne worked as a commercial artist until he was drafted by the U.S. Navy during World War II. Some of the famous illustrations he did prior to his military service included the Charmin baby and the Jolly Green Giant. After finishing his service, Hoyne moved back to Chicago and began illustrating and painting maritime scenes.
The paintings Hoyne produced during this period were all works of realism. (It’s been said by some that the water in Hoyne’s paintings looks simply wet to the touch.) Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut presented the artist with the Rudolph J. Schaefer Maritime Heritage Award in 1983, which recognizes work that best documents America’s maritime heritage for future generations.
This article was originally published in the January 2023 issue.
