Antonio Jacobsen Maritime Painting, Narwhal Tusk Available at Rafael Osona Auctions

Antonio Jacobsen’s oil on canvas from circa 1886, titled Portrait of the Schooner Sam L. Storer, leads the August 4, 2024 ~ The Marine Auction by Rafael Osona Auctions. Danish-born American maritime artist Antonio Nicolo Gasparo Jacobsen (1850 – 1921) arrived in the United States in August 1873. He settled across the Hudson River from Manhattan and New York Harbor, its port filled with ships from America and worldwide. 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 selling for five dollars. Jacobsen was chosen both for the accuracy of his work and his low fee and was known as the “Audubon of Steam Vessels.” Jacobsen painted more than 6,000 portraits of sail and steam vessels over the course of his career.  

The Marine Auction also offers a large 19th-century Narwhal tusk from the Arctic Circle. It measures six feet high and nine inches wide. It has a fine patina coat. The Arctic Circle is the most northern polar circle. The narwhal (Monodon monoceros) is a toothed whale native to the Arctic Circle. The narwhal has a stocky body with a prominent melon, reduced flippers, a shallow dorsal ridge, and mottled brown-and-white coloration. The tusk may serve as a weapon or a tool for feeding, attracting mates, or sensing water salinity. Notable artists with work in the sale include William Gay Yorke, Robert Salmon, and Derek George Montague Gardner. View the August 4, 2024 ~ The Marine Auction, and find other online auctions by visiting Bidsquare. Browse more auction previews on Auction Daily.