Antonio Jacobsen
Encyclopedia
Antonio Nicolo Gasparo Jacobsen (November 2, 1850 – February 2, 1921) was a Danish-born American maritime artist known as the "Audubon
of Steam Vessels".
, Denmark. Jacobsen attended the Royal Academy of Design before heading across the Atlantic Ocean. He arrived in the United States in 1871 and settled in West Hoboken, New Jersey
(now Union City, New Jersey
), across the Hudson River
from Manhattan
and New York Harbor
, its port filled with ships from America and around the world. Jacobsen got his start painting pictures of ships on safes, and as his reputation grew, he was asked to do portraits of ships by their owners, captains and crew members, with many of his works sold for five dollars.
Jacobsen painted more than 6,000 portraits of sail and steam vessels, making him "the most prolific of marine artists". Many of his commissions came from sea captains, and Jacobsen was chosen both for the accuracy of his work and his low fee.
. In 1995, the Mariners' Museum
in Newport News, Virginia
held an exhibit that include 80 oils by Jacobsen. In conjunction with the exhibit, the museum published a volume by Harold S. Sniffen, the museum's curator emeritus, whose biography titled Antonio Jacobsen's Painted Ships on Painted Oceans, includes some 100 color pictures of the artist's ship paintings.
The public rooms of The Griswold Inn
in Essex, Connecticut
, the oldest continuously-run tavern in the United States, features the largest privately-held collection of Jacobsen's paintings. John McMullen
, a naval architect and marine engineer (and former owner of the New Jersey Devils
), had a collection that included 75 paintings by Jacobsen, the first two of which were found in the 1940s in the offices of the family ship repair business.
On February 19, 2006, Fetching The Mark, an unsigned painting of the racing yacht Dreadnought attributed to Jacobsen, was sold at auction for $281,000, more than triple the highest price previously paid for one of Jacobsen's works. The piece had been brought to an Antiques Road Show event in Tampa, Florida
, and had originally been thought to be a work of Jacobsen's contemporary James E. Buttersworth
, until further research led to a conclusion that it was by Jacobsen.
John James Audubon
John James Audubon was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his expansive studies to document all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats...
of Steam Vessels".
Biography
Jacobsen was born in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark. Jacobsen attended the Royal Academy of Design before heading across the Atlantic Ocean. He arrived in the United States in 1871 and settled in West Hoboken, New Jersey
West Hoboken, New Jersey
West Hoboken was a municipality that existed in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, from 1861 to 1925.West Hoboken was originally incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 28, 1861, from portions of North Bergen Township. The township was reincorporated on...
(now Union City, New Jersey
Union City, New Jersey
Union City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2010 United States Census the city had a total population of 66,455. All of the city is on land, an area of...
), across the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
from Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and New York Harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
, its port filled with ships from America and around the world. Jacobsen got his start painting pictures of ships on safes, and as his reputation grew, he was asked to do portraits of ships by their owners, captains and crew members, with many of his works sold for five dollars.
Jacobsen painted more than 6,000 portraits of sail and steam vessels, making him "the most prolific of marine artists". Many of his commissions came from sea captains, and Jacobsen was chosen both for the accuracy of his work and his low fee.
Exhibits and collections
Exhibits of Jacobsen's works include a 1996 exhibit of 45 of his paintings at the National Museum of American HistoryNational Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Among the items on display are the original Star-Spangled Banner and Archie Bunker's...
. In 1995, the Mariners' Museum
Mariners' Museum
The Mariners' Museum is located in Newport News, Virginia. It is one of the largest maritime museums in the world as well as being the largest in North America.- History :The museum was founded in 1932 by Archer Milton Huntington, son of Collis P...
in Newport News, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
held an exhibit that include 80 oils by Jacobsen. In conjunction with the exhibit, the museum published a volume by Harold S. Sniffen, the museum's curator emeritus, whose biography titled Antonio Jacobsen's Painted Ships on Painted Oceans, includes some 100 color pictures of the artist's ship paintings.
The public rooms of The Griswold Inn
The Griswold Inn
The Griswold Inn, located in Essex, Connecticut, is the oldest continuously-run tavern in the United States of America . Founded by three brothers in the late 18th century, it has been under the stewardship of only 6 families. The Inn was captured by British troops and used as a base of operations...
in Essex, Connecticut
Essex, Connecticut
Essex is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,505 at the 2000 census. It is made up of three villages: Essex Village, Centerbrook, and Ivoryton.- History :- The Great Attack :...
, the oldest continuously-run tavern in the United States, features the largest privately-held collection of Jacobsen's paintings. John McMullen
John McMullen (engineer)
John J. McMullen, Ph.D was a naval architect and marine engineer, and former owner of the New Jersey Devils and Houston Astros. He founded the engineering firm John J...
, a naval architect and marine engineer (and former owner of the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
), had a collection that included 75 paintings by Jacobsen, the first two of which were found in the 1940s in the offices of the family ship repair business.
On February 19, 2006, Fetching The Mark, an unsigned painting of the racing yacht Dreadnought attributed to Jacobsen, was sold at auction for $281,000, more than triple the highest price previously paid for one of Jacobsen's works. The piece had been brought to an Antiques Road Show event in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, and had originally been thought to be a work of Jacobsen's contemporary James E. Buttersworth
James E. Buttersworth
James Edward Buttersworth was an English painter who specialized in maritime art, and is considered among the foremost American ship portraitists of the nineteenth century...
, until further research led to a conclusion that it was by Jacobsen.
External links
- The Early Years – Exhibition of works painted between 1877 and 1898.
- The Later Years – Exhibition of works painted between 1902 and 1916.