An important pair of very early and artistically striking works by renown New York area marine artist Antonio Jacobsen, these two period yacht racing narratives have much to celebrate. The finest racing schooners, SAPPHO and DAUNTLESS, with the champion Sloop VISION as the primary subjects are added to with the renown and often used starting/finishing point of the Sandy Hook Lightship in both paintings. These period paintings are similar to the works of James E. Buttersworth from this historic era of American yachting.
In his vast output, yacht depictions of races are Jacobsen's most sought after and desirable. When you have yachts that sailed in famous defenses of the America's Cup, they combine the historic and artistic. DAUNTLESS finished ahead of the English challenger CAMBRIA in the First Defense in 1870, her first year after conversion for her dynamic and infamous owner, J. Gordon Bennett, Jr. The actual final winner of the 1871 challenge, SAPPHO, twice defeated LIVONIA after COLUMBIA won the first two matches, lost the third, and was replaced. Her owner, William Douglas and Bennett were close friends and competitors, and both sailed their yachts and crews to compete in English waters.
VISION ran successfully against yachts of her class for years as a member of the New York Yacht Club. Designed by the famous Captain Bob Fish, it is recorded that she was the "shoalest craft ever built". Each of these famous yachts sailed for years in New York Yacht Club regattas and private matches.
