Fogbound Shores, Antarctica

Leland Curtis
Fogbound Shores, Antarctica
Oil on canvas, 1939-40
20 x 24 inches
Gift of Joseph L. Moure
1991.201

In 1939–40, Leland Curtis served as the official artist for the United States Antarctic Service Expedition, which was led by Rear Admiral Richard Byrd. Fifteen years later he went on the expedition called Operation Deep Freeze, this too led by Byrd. He made one final trip in 1957, sponsored by the National Science Foundation. During this trip—Operation Deep Freeze III—the expedition reached the South Pole. Fogbound Shores, Antarctica is typical of the artist’s interpretation of the austere polar landscape. Rendered in smooth strokes of azure blue with touches of white, the work communicates a sense of freezing cold and isolation.