C. Hjalmar Amundsen

"Old South Pier Gloucester"

Circa 1950

Original oil on canvas painting of a seaside vista by the American artist, Robert Waltsak. Signed lower left. Condition is excellent. Overall framed in a new custom gold leaf frame....

This oil on canvas painting was done by the American artist, Warren Sheppard. Signed twice lower left. One signature over another. See signatures photo's. Circa 1920 to 1930. Recently lightly cleaned and gold leaf frame custom made for the painting. Overall 27 by 37 inches. Some craquelure; mainly in sky. Otherwise, good condition. A student of Dutch marine artist, Mauritz de Haas, Warren Sheppard built two successful careers around his love of the sea: marine painting and yacht designing. He was born in Greenwich, New Jersey, a town on the Delaware River below Philadelphia, which has been associated with ships and shipping since the earliest Colonial times. His father was a sea captain and the young Sheppard took many voyages with his father to make artistic studies. He learned perspective drawing at Cooper Union in New York City in addition to his studies with de Haas. In 1879, he spent four months sketching Mediterranean port cities including Gibraltar, Genoa, Naples and Messina in Sicily. Between 1888 and 1893, he also studied painting in Venice and Paris. By the time he was in his mid-thirties, he had established himself as a successful illustrator and painter. The yachts he painted were the most lavish of his day, owned by the wealthiest of men. He was an expert in the design and rigging of ships of present and earlier times. His work was highly regarded for its authenticity as well as its artistic merit.Sheppard was also an expert navigator and sailed a number of famous yachts in races. Twice he was to command Tamerlane when it won the New York to Bermuda run. His book, Practical Navigation, was used for many years by the United States Naval Academy...