Oil paint on paper on fibreboard
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/leonard-appelbee-655" aria-label="More by Leonard Appelbee" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Leonard Appelbee</a>
King Crab
Purchased 1940
animals: fish and aquatic life
crab
food and drink
furnishings
miscellaneous
objects
paper
seafood
table
<p>Appelbee studied art in London first at Goldsmiths' College and then at the Royal College of Art, completing his studies in 1938. This small still life picture was acquired by the Tate Gallery in 1940, the year Appelbee began his six years of service in the Army. As well as 'The King Crab' the artist painted a number of sea creatures in the 1930s, including a lobster and fish. Here the crab is barely contained within the picture. Its size is emphasised by the way it dominates the surface of the canvas. The crab's angular legs and claws are mirrored by the hard-edge treatment of the table and paper on which it rests.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2004</em></p>
painting oil paint paper fibreboard
29 March 2025 – 14 September 2025
2025-09-14
29 March 2025 – 14 September 2025
2025-09-14
2025-03-29
Hastings Contemporary (Hastings, UK)
2025-03-29
Undersea
Loan-out
The King Crab
support: 362 × 470 mm
frame: 587 × 700 × 75 mm
Purchased 1940
<p>Appelbee studied art in London first at Goldsmiths' College and then at the Royal College of Art, completing his studies in 1938. This small <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/s/still-life" title="Glossary definition for 'Still life'"><span>still life</span></a> picture was acquired by the Tate Gallery in 1940, the year Appelbee began his six years of service in the Army. As well as 'The King Crab' the artist painted a number of sea creatures in the 1930s, including a lobster and fish. Here the crab is barely contained within the picture. Its size is emphasised by the way it dominates the surface of the <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/c/canvas" title="Glossary definition for 'Canvas'"><span>canvas</span></a>. The crab's angular legs and claws are mirrored by the hard-edge treatment of the table and <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/paper" title="Glossary definition for 'Paper'"><span>paper</span></a> on which it rests.</p>
Display caption
2004-09-03T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><b>N05151</b> THE KING CRAB 1938
<br/> </p>
<p>Inscr. ‘Leonard Appelbee 1938’ b.r.</p>
<p>Canvas, 14 1/4×18 1/2 (36×47).
<br/>Purchased from the artist (Knapping Fund) 1940.
<br/></p>
<p>[no further text]</p>
<p></p>
<p><b>Published in:</b>
<br/>Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, <i>The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture</i>, London 1964, I</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-07-20T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
animals: fish and aquatic life crab food and drink furnishings miscellaneous objects paper seafood table