Date: Fri 24-Sep-1999

Publication: Ant

Author: JUDIR

Quick Words:

Godel-marine-paintings

Full Text:

Visions Of The Sea At Godel

(with 3 cuts)

NEW YORK CITY -- Godel & Co. Fine Art announces its third annual marine

paintings exhibition. Titled "Visions of the Sea," it runs to Saturday,

November 6. The group of works included in the exhibition encompass a broad

selection, from a Thomas Birch done in the 1830s to a William M. Paxton view

of Gloucester done in the 1930s.

Boston marine painting always starts with Robert Salmon, (1775-1845) the

British emigrant whose atmospheric pearly touch influenced a whole generation

of American artists. Salmon is represented by two dramatic coastal views. In a

similar vein are two works by his star pupil, Fitz Hugh Lane (1804-1865),

considered to be the finest marine artist this country ever produced. The

Lanes on view here are the " Matilda " and "Camden Harbor, Maine." The latter

is a salmon pink sunset composition complete with the unique transcendentally

calm waters art historians identify as a hallmark of the Luminous movement.

Lane's pupil, Mary Blood Mellen, is represented by a coastal view that relates

to a Lane, "Owl's Head," in the Cape Ann Historical Museum.

Among the other Boston artists from that golden era of Yankee marine artists

included here are William Bradford (1823-1892), "Coast of Maine, 1861;" Alfred

Thompson Bricher (1873-1908), "Maine Coastal Scene;" Clement Drew (1806-1889)

" Yachts Northern Light and The Raven Passing near Boston Lighthouse;" and

Charles Henry Gifford (1830-1880), "View near New Bedford." The 1861 view by

Bradford has already been requested for the upcoming Bradford show at the New

Bedford Whaling Museum in 2001, curated by Dr Richard Kugler. A Winslow Homer

drawing, "Gloucester Schooners," rounds out the Boston contingent.

New York's golden era of Nineteenth Century marine painting runs a little

later than Boston's, and at its peak has a specific emphasis on the yachts

that competed for the American's Cup. The New York Yacht Club retained

possession of what has been termed "the auld mug" from 1851 until 1983 when

Australia II broke the longest streak in sports history by defeating Liberty

in the seventh and deciding race.

Three artists represented in the exhibition put their finest efforts into

capturing on canvas the races for the oldest of sailing trophies, Antonio

Jacobsen (1805-1921), Archibald Cary Smith (1837-1911) and James Edward

Buttersworth (1817-1894). The Jacobsen depicts an actual scene from the

America's Cup in 1887 with the defending yacht Volunteer leading the Scottish

challenger Thistle , after having rounded the Sandy Hook light ship. Before

1930 the races operated out of lower New York Harbor, only then moving to

Newport to escape massive spectator fleets which often were populated by as

many as 100,000 people, and frequently interfering in the competition.

The Archibald Cary S mith painting shows the steam yacht Emily flying a New

York Yacht club Burgee, and has figures on the deck observing a schooner yacht

race on the starboard beam. Smith not only painted well, but also was a

leading ship designer and in fact designed the successful Defender of 1881.

Mischief, Mischief earned its laurels at the expense of Atalanta . James

Buttersworth is perhaps the best known America's Cup artist, but the 1870 race

scene sold just before the show, so he is solely represented here by a

recently rediscovered oil which shows a Man O'War under a towering press of

sail near the impregnable maritime fortress of Gibraltar. It is the most

unique trait of Buttersworth to add an iridescent reflection of each vessel in

the water.

Other works included in the show are Mauritz F.H. DeHaas' (1832-1895) "Orient

Point Long Island, 1865;" William DeHaas' (1830-1880) "Penobscott Bay,"

Francis Augustus Silva's (1835-1886) "Point Judith Light House, 1882;" James

Bard's (1815-1897) "Towboat William Tittamer ;" Edward Moran's "Robbins Reef

Lighthouse" and Frederic J. Mulhaupt's (1871-1938) "Hailing from Gloucester."

The gallery is located at 39A East 72nd Street. Hours are Monday through

Friday, 10 am to 6 pm, and Saturdays 10 am to 5 pm. For inquiries, call

212/288-7272.