The Torchlight Fishermen, Waikiki by Lionel Walde

Lionel Walden first came to Hawai‘i in 1911—by way of Paris—and developed a passion for painting seascapes and local scenes of fishing and surfing. He is one of several twentieth-century artists from around the world who visited to capture life in Hawai‘i on their canvases. Some, such as Jules Tavernier, took romantic approaches, exoticizing the landscape to portray a sense of otherworldliness. While that can also be said of Walden, his work differs due to his inclusion of key details largely missed by other artists—such as the stance of the surfers on their boards and the trails of foam behind them, or the way the ‘upena (throw net) is held in a fisherman’s hands.

In The Torchlight Fisherman, Waikiki, it is possible to identify Walden’s vantage point by using the curve of the shoreline and profile of the Wai‘anae Mountain range. While his paintings were executed in his studio, either here in Hawai‘i or in Minnesota, where he also lived, Walden managed to record scenes that are both accurate and nostalgic. As Walden once said, “I have watched the moon rise over that mountain [Diamond Head] and seen the silvery sheen on the swell as it rolls over the beach.”

And it is this very mix of elements that resonates with local residents who grew up in Hawai‘i, learning and playing in its  waters.

—Aaron Padilla, Director of Learning & Engagement (and fisherman)

Lionel Walden (American, 1861–1933)
The Torchlight Fisherman, Waikiki, 1930
Oil on canvas board
Bequest of Patches Damon Holt, 2003 (12702.1)