12 Anniversary Preview

12th Anniversary 12 www.antiquesandfineart.com NOTEWORTHY S A L E New York Yacht Club Race Depicting the Yachts Dauntless, Sappho, and Columbia James E. Buttersworth (American, 1817–1894), signed Circa 1871 Oil on canvas, (sight): 32 x 44 inches; with frame: 37½ x 49¾ inches Sold to a private collector Courtesy Hyland Granby Antiques Historically significant and unusually large, this painting is a masterpiece of Buttersworth’s oeuvre. Depicting a New York Yacht Club race, off the New York Yacht Club Staten Island sta- tion (depicted flying an American flag), the painting includes three of the most significant American schooner yachts, all of which com- peted in the America’s Cup between 1870 and 1871. At the center of the painting is the yacht Dauntless, which sailed in the 1870 Cup. She is flying the private signal of the esteemed yachtsman, James Gordon Bennett Jr., the only commodore to serve two terms (First term 1871–1874; Second 1884–1885). Dauntless is painted in impeccable detail due in part to the large scale canvas. Depicted after having won the race, the crew is taking down the topsails and foresails. The fluttering of the sails is a technique Buttersworth adopted in some of his better racing scenes to heighten the sense of action. Buttersworth was a master of creating a narrative with his yachting scenes while at the same time creating a remarkable atmospheric effect in the sea and sky; the latter is among the most dramatic and colorful of his repertoire. Sailing in a stiff breeze on a deep heel is the yacht Sappho belonging to William P. Douglas, vice-commodore of the New York Yacht Club in 1871. Following just behind is the white- hulled Columbia, which also defended the 1871 America’s Cup. Trailing behind Columbia are two yachts having just sailed through the Verrazano Narrows. To the right of Dauntless, and balancing the composition, is a large catboat with several figures waving to the victorious Dauntless; the yachting ensign on the catboat’s mast marks the end of the race. It is reasonable to assume, given the subject matter and the prominent placement of the Dauntless, that the painting was commissioned by James Gordon Bennett Jr. During important races Bennett made a point of being on board and may be depicted on the deck. The painting appears to retain its original gold leaf frame. Included with the painting is a copy of a bill of sale for the painting dated December 13, 1935. The invoice is on sta- tionary of the Old Print Shop and indicates that the painting sold for $1,250; at the time the average Buttersworth yachting scene was selling for a fraction of this amount.