This fine portrait is of the merchant bark ST. GEORGE sailing past the South Stack Lighthouse, the last signaling station in a chain of twelve leading ships along the Welsh coast and out to sea from Liverpool Harbor. Painted with great detail throughout, the ship features multiple figures on deck, in full sail and with flags flying including that of her owners Hall and Fairweather of St. John, New Brunswick, Canada.
The bright scene has particularly nice cloud work in the sky and features the stylized short, green swells with a touch of white spray typical of the Liverpool school artists. At her bow, another sailing ship heads towards Liverpool while at her stern a two stack side paddlewheel steamer runs parallel out to sea. Stylized short, green swells with a nice touch of white spray prominent, which are typical of Liverpool School portraits.
Launched in 1872, the Bark ST. GEORGE was also based out St. Johns and likely ran between that port and Liverpool since Yorke painted the ship in Liverpool. The ship was 166 feet in length, 34 feet breadth and weighed in at 898 tons. She first sailed under Captain J.R. Hall. She had a good long life at sea, particularly for a sailing ship well into the steamship era, only ending service in 1921.
