A four masted steel bark cuts through an active sea under dramatic skies in this cracking example of ship portraiture by William A. Coulter. The ship is the ARTHUR SEWALL of 3209 tons, launched in 1899 and built in Bath, Maine at the yards of her namesake, Arthur Sewall & Co. She measured 332 feet overall with a beam of 45 feet and depth of nearly 26 feet.
As we can see in Coulter's large and detailed portrait the ship has no figurehead or ornamentation, which was common for American steel hulled sailing vessels. The result was a sleek bow sloping up out of the water and cutting through the waves as we see here. These waves are most likely off the California coast near San Francisco, as the vessel was known to take cargoes in and out of the port. The ship's wheelhouse sits aft, under her snapping American flag and signal flags.
There are many figures throughout on the ship's deck and up in her sails, which tells the story of a large ship in active sailing conditions. Men adjust sails and rigging while others tend to duties on deck. Off the stern a lone figure raises a telescope to spy another sailing ship in the distance. Meanwhile the ARTHUR SEWALL moves briskly under near full sail in the deep green and gray Pacific waters. Overhead, the weather is turning as strong winds parts the clouds to reveal a striking blue sky.
Coulter's brushwork is particularly active and interesting here, as are his color choices. Those familiar with Northern Californian waters will recognize that unique mixture of tones shot through with the deep rust of California kelp. Those warm touches are reflected in the clouds that run from deep grays to warm cream colors to brilliant whites adding more luminism than the typical Coulter painting. Overall it's done to great effect.
The Ship ARTHUR SEWALL traded around Cape Horn with coal, bringing wheat back from California, sugar from Hawaii, case oil to Japan and Shanghai, and lumber from Puget Sound across the Pacific. ARTHUR SEWALL'S captains included James Murphey, former Master of the Shenandoah, and Burton Gaffery. ARTHUR SEWALL left the east coast for Seattle with coal in the spring of 1907 and was never heard from again.
A photo of the vessel is shown for reference purposes. The two stacks seen in the photo are those of two steam tugboats, one on either side of the sailing ship. It is possible that this photo was used as a reference by the artist when this was painted. Given the date, after the ship's disappearance and after Sewall himself had passed away, this may have been a commemorative portrait.
Arthur Sewall, the man, was born in the great shipbuilding hub of Bath, Maine. After an early career in the family shipbuilding business, Sewall developed an interest in politics. His highest elected offices were local but he ran unsuccessfully in a Maine Senate race and eventually as the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 1896 with William Jennings Bryant. While his political career never reached the heights he might have desired, Sewall was hugely successful in business with a substantial fortune and influence over railroad, banking and other interests of the very wealthy in 19th century America.
