Gurdon Trumbull (1841-1903)
Black Bass, 1872
Oil on canvas, 17 1/2 x 25 1/8”
Signed and dated lower right

In Hartford, Trumbull painted fish so full of life that he was called the finest fish painter in America. Images of a fisherman’s catch were common in the 19th century, when fishing became a sport. Few besides Trumbull, however, could convincingly paint fish swimming in water. Critics were agog at his "uncommon union" of live action and minute detail.

Trumbull’s work is rare not only for its artistry but also because he painted very little. The artist was wealthy, and he did not need to work. As spirited as the fish he portrayed, he abruptly ended his art career to pursue other interests, among them collecting china.