Carving Out the Ocean’s Power

This magnificant carved wooden seahorse is part of an exhibit at the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester, Massachusetts, showcasing the work of carver James T. McClellan (1910-2005). There's a photo of him on the museum's "special exhibits" webpage.

The Boston Globe said that the exhibit:

shows the artist's deft hand, his love of curves, and his passion for mythology. He was a romantic, a sculptor with 19th-century sensibilities making work in the 20th century. . . .

Look at his mahogany sea horse with a gilded fishtail: A filigreed mane accents the muscled, curving neck; the tail spirals back playfully. The doors he carved for the Gloucester Lyceum and Sawyer Free Library follow the same maritime theme, with a magnificent, watery Poseidon pulled by a stormy team of horses. McClellan found his voice in the stories of the sea; his best work here channels the ocean's power.

"Carved and Gilded: The Sculpture of James T. McClellan" is on display until 15 October.