“Americas Cup Race”

Description

“Americas Cup Race” or “America’s Cup Defense, c. 1870-75″

Antonio Jacobsen is one of the premier American Marine painters of the late 19th Century. We have various works by him included in our collection, most of these are ship portraits, but this one in particular is special. He studied at Copenhagen’s Royal Academy, and emigrated to the the United States in 1871. He frequented the harbor around Battery Park, and sketched all of the sailing schooners and steam ships as they arrived from Europe.

Jacobsen’s patrons were ship masters or boat owners in search of an accurately detailed record of their vessel. Soon all of the shipping lines were requesting his services. In 1880 he moved his family across the harbor into Hoboken New Jersey. These constant ship portrait commissions, helped establish him as the foremost chronicler of the American maritime industry. However, on occasion he would paint an exceptional oil for himself, or one of the owners of the Americas Cup racing vessels. These few works, were of the highest quality, in both draftsmanship and realism.

It is the superb overall quality, that allows us to date the painting to his best period, 1871-1875. It was here in these earlier works, before he was consumed by endless commissions, where he excels in his craft. His sense of depicting the sea and the racing schooners was rivaled by only James Buttersworth, from a generation earlier, in their appeal.

This painting was owned by an exceptional collector, M. Anthony Greene, of Jackson, Wyoming. His estate sold the painting and it was conserved at a restoration studio, who did a fine job in cleaning the canvas. It is in spectacular condition. However, the restorer accidentally removed the original signature which was located in the lower right of the canvas. Unsigned. Jacobsen’s work is many museums throughout the U.S. including the Mariner’s Museum, Newport News, VA; Mystic Seaport Museum (CT); Peabody Museum, Salem (MA); New York Historical Society (NY); Fall River Marine Museum (MA); Louisiana State Museum (LA) and the Shelburne Museum (VA).

Frame: H 26-1/2″ W 40-7/8″.

Canvas: H 22″ W 36”.

27949-LU259521493682