Hjalmar Amundsen Art

Original oil on canvas painting by the well known Sag Harbor marine artist Casper Hjalmar Amundsen. Signed lower right. Copyrighted and dated verso 1976. Condition is excellent. The subject of the painting is Rockport Harbor In Massachusetts with a fishing boat and a deckhand tied up at the dock. Amundsen was known for his mastery of water and reflections and this painting is a great example of his skill. The painting is framed in a contemporary gold gallery frame. Overall framed measurements are 30.25 by 42.25 inches. Provenance: A upstate New York estate. Casper Hjalmar Amundsen was born in New York City on June 9, 1911 as Casper Hjalmar Emerson, III. Since he was a third generation family member with the given name of Casper, he became known from birth simply as “Cappy.” Cappy’s father, Casper Emerson, Jr. (1878-1948) was an important artist, creating “The Emerson Girl” for the Broadway Magazine in the New York Herald-Tribune. As a young boy, Cappy spent many hours in his father’s studio, learning first hand the basics of drawing and painting. After graduating from Blair Academy, Cappy attended the Grand Central School of Art. In the spring of 1932, Cappy founded the Washington Square Outdoor Art Show in New York City with Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Beaufort Delaney and others. Exhibiting there for over thirty years, he was awarded first place in show many times. In 1934, Cappy participated in an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum. He exhibited a caricature of Adolf Hitler titled His Best Foot. Cappy portrayed the German Dictator as half-human and half-devil. After a strong objection by the German Ambassador’s wife, the Metropolitan Museum removed the cartoon from the exhibition. This brought a strong protest of censorship by artists. Controversial news articles about the caricature appeared in Time magazine and newspapers throughout the country. For the next seven or eight years, Cappy traveled along the eastern seaboard in a 33 foot yawl. Unable to make a living as an artist, he worked as a commercial fisherman. During this time, he lived in Gloucester and Provincetown where he became an active member of the famous Beachcombers Club. Becoming a skilled marine artist, he signed his earliest paintings, Hjalmar. By the late 1930’s, Cappy sometimes used another pseudonym, I.Emerson. Sometime in 1943, Emery Blum & Co. of New York, published a portfolio of prints under the name of Hjalmar Emerson Amundsen. This extensive folio of U.S. Navy ships was meticulously executed, detailing every aspect of their construction. The portfolio became a popular collectible during the war, selling thousands of editions. Cappy’s popularity with the public continued with naval themes. In 1944, he illustrated scenes inspired by the U.S. Navy for two covers of Motor Boatingmagazine. Paintings used for these illustrations were signed Hjalmar Amundsen, while the byline inside the publication credited C. Hjalmar Amundsen. Cappy moved to Sag Harbor, Long Island in early 1946. The same year he legally changed his name from Casper Hjalmar Emerson, III to C. Hjalmar Amundsen. At this time, he began to sign his paintings with another alias, J J. Enwright. After moving to Sag Harbor, Cappy made numerous contributions to the community. He became a highly respected and popular figure in the small waterfront village. Among his accomplishments was the founding of the first Outboard Racing Regatta which became a forerunner for the Old Whalers Festival. In the late 1940’s, Cappy established two art schools in the village. He became a licensed U. S. Coast Guard Captain and an almost unbeatable sailor in racing competition. As a member of the Sag Harbor Recreational Committee he helped obtain a Charter from the Boy Scouts of America, establishing the Sea Scouts...

Signed lower left