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 Early maritime
paintings from the period of the 1820s are very rare.
The genre became more popular as the 19th century
progressed, but this is a rare early scene depicting
events that transpired during the period of the American
Revolutionary War nearly 50 years before. The
painting depicts HMS Jersey, built by in Britain in
1736, which served as a prison ship docked in New York
Harbor during the war. Thousands of American
soldiers suffered aboard the British prison ships, in
the most horrific of conditions. According to
sources, while battle deaths during the war numbered
4,435 killed during the war, it is estimated that more
than 8,000 died aboard the New York prison ships
including the HMS Jersey. Despite being a British
ship, the artist chose to commemorate the valor of the
men who suffered aboard the HMS Jersey for the cause of
freedom by hoisting an American flag over the ship.
The small skiff painted in the foreground shows
prisoners being taken to the ship. The painting is
very finely done, with exceptional folk art qualities in
the composition of the water, the ship, the skiff and
the sky. It remains in its original frame.
While most paintings of early sailing ships are done to
commemorate the greatness of a ship of the day, the fact
that this painting was done to memorialize such a
historic and tragic chapter of the American Revolution,
and by a family member of one of the soldiers who
actually fought in the Revolution and was held prisoner
aboard the ship, makes this particular painting one of
the more extraordinary examples of early American
maritime art.
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An early 19th century oil painting
depicting a British prison ship for
American soldiers captured during the
American Revolution, painted by the
nephew of an American soldier held
prisoner aboard the ship. |
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Media: Oil Paint on Wood Board
Date: 1823War:
Commemorative of the American
Revolution
Type: Painting
Catalog Number: IAS-00119 |
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Next:
Masterpiece Scherenschnitte
Isaac Stiehly, circa 1835 |
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