Skip to main contentDescriptionBull elephant with rough background of greens and blues. Ted Waddell in a recent email - "As for Hemingway's Dream, on my first trip to Africa, I tried to read Hemingway's Green Hills of Africa. Hemingway was a manly man in that he went every where, killing things, birds, elephants, etc. We were out on a large open plain where you could see a long way. In the middle of this plain was a small spring and in the spring was a huge bull elephant throwing mud over his body, having a grand time. Peaceful, mellow. The result of this was Hemingway's Dream. It made no sense and still makes no sense to kill these magnificent creatures. It was like shooting a two story house. The hunters use high powered rifles to do this from a distance. Big deal.
At other times, I was in close to a herd of elephants and somehow got close to a calf. The Momma got pretty mad and I thought I was a goner. The guy that was with me said don't run, turn sideways so you are not confrontational. It worked. Scared the hell out of me."
Hemingway's Dream
Artist/Maker
Theodore Waddell
United States, born 1941
Date1992
MediumOil on Canvas
Dimensions72 × 78 in. (182.9 × 198.1 cm)
Credit LineGift of the Otto and Jill Stolz Foundation, National Museum of Wildlife Art
Object numberW2012.028
ClassificationsPainting
SignedSigned
On View
Not on viewAt other times, I was in close to a herd of elephants and somehow got close to a calf. The Momma got pretty mad and I thought I was a goner. The guy that was with me said don't run, turn sideways so you are not confrontational. It worked. Scared the hell out of me."
Henry Spencer Moore