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James Edward ButtersworthVOLUNTEER Off Sandy Hook, Heading Out to Race in the Goelet CupCirca 1887
Circa 1887
About the Item
This atmospheric painting by James E. Butterworth depicts a group of yachts leaving New York Harbor on the annual New York Yacht Club cruise. In 1887, when this was painted, upon arrival at Newport, Rhode Island several of these yachts would participate in that year's Goelet Cup, an annual race held between 1882 and 1897 to see which yachts would become the leading contenders to defend the America's Cup each season.
While it was a New York Yacht Club race, competitors were invited to race as well. Besides the honors of the America's Cup defense, at stake was a $1,000 prize for the winning sloop and schooner as well as a perpetual trophy held by the club along with a custom silver trophy designed by Tiffany & Co. of New York.
The main vessel here, VOLUNTEER, would take top honors, winning the right to defend the America's Cup. 1887 was her maiden racing season and the Goelet Cup hosted a large fleet including MAYFLOWER, STILETTO, PURITAN, AMERICA, MISCHIEF, NORSEMAN and ELECTRA. VOLUNTEER proved to be the class yacht of the race, winning the race by more than 8 minutes and losing only one match the entire year.
This painting shows brilliant shafts of light coming through the clouds illuminating Sandy Hook Lighthouse and the yachts at sea. While the clear flag on VOLUNTEER, as well as an inscription verso, identify her as the main yacht, the others are more of a challenge. The other yachts flags are small but we suspect the yacht ahead of VOLUNTEER is the HURON while the schooner behind could be MAYFLOWER. Butterworth has included several interesting details including full crews on the ships and good colors in sea and sky creating a moody depiction of sailing on active waters.
VOLUNTEER would go on to also win the America's Cup- defeating the English Challenger THISTLE. This was the great age of yachting and Buttersworth was the greatest artistic chronicler of the age and its most graceful and strong competitors of the sea.
This painting came out of a private family collection that held the painting for more than 40 years.
Sight Size: 7 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches
Signed LR: J.E. Buttersworth
- Creator:James Edward Buttersworth (1817-1894, American)
- Creation Year:Circa 1887
- Dimensions:Height: 14.25 in (36.2 cm)Width: 18.25 in (46.36 cm)
- Medium:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Costa Mesa, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2139212336252
James Edward Buttersworth
Born in 1817 in Middlesex County, Great Britain, James Edward Buttersworth was the son of important English sea painter Thomas Buttersworth. Settling in New York in 1845, he soon established himself as one of America's leading marine artists. For the most part he signed his works J.E. Buttersworth. During the next period of his life, many of his works were chosen by Currier & Ives as subjects for lithographs. His images were also used in magazines and newspapers that reported the yachting events of the day. New York Harbor and the surrounding areas became a favorite background for his vessels which he portrayed faithfully with an eye for precise detail. His reputation sprang from his accurate representations of the great sailing yachts of his time. In order to accent the speed and grace of these vessels, he would often elongate the hulls and sails to create a feeling of motion portrayed along a low horizon line. With dramatic skies, churning seas and accurate detail, he ennobled and romanticized sailing ships with what have become historically important paintings that are both beautiful and refined.
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