Antonio Jacobsen
American 1851-1921
Oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right 'A. Jacobsen 1888 705. PALISADE AV. West Hoboken NJ.' The painting depicts the three masted schooner ADA BAILEY whose name appears both on a banner flying from the rear mast and painted near the stern. The Union Jack is flying from the foremast and a blue flag with a 'S' is flying from the middle mast with the American Flag off the gaff. The vessel is under full sail and the detail of the sails, spars, rigging and hull show Jacobsen at his best. The water is typical of Jacobsen's middle period with the white highlighting at the crest of each wave. The sky is also classic of the middle period with the cloud bank across the horizon with the red highlighting particular in the right-hand side. To the right is a spit of land with lighthouses along the Jersy shore. (PA-748)
Provenance: The painting descended in the Sewall family to an ancestor who was a physician in Maine and then was given to a doctor living in New Jersey. The doctor's widow sold the painting to the Smith Gallery of New York who in turn sold the painting to a private collector.
Reference 1: Sniffen, Harold S., 'Antonio Jacobsen The Checklist,' Newport News, Virginia: The Mariners' Museum, 1984, pp. 20,21. The Ada Bailey was built in Bath, Maine for A. Sewall & Co. in 1884. She was 161 feet in length, 33 feet in breadth and she drew 12 feet. The checklist indicates that The Mariners' Museum, Newport News, Virginia has the sketch of the vessel and this painting was unknown to the authors and is apparently the only known Jacobsen painting of this vessel.
Reference 2: Granby, Alan and Janice Hyland 'Flying the Colors,' New York: Hudson Hills Press, Mystic Seaport, 2009, pp. 272, 273. These pages illustrate two very similar paintings of three masted schooners by Jacobsen. Despite the similarity, these illustrated paintings lack some of the drama and intense detail found in the painting described above.
Condition of painting: The painting has been remarkably well preserved. Please refer to Yost Restoration report for detail.
Condition of frame: The painting retains its original gold frame with liner. Like the painting, the frame is remarkably well preserved condition.
Dimensions of painting: 22 x 36 inches
Dimensions of frame: 29 3/4 x 43 1/2 inches.