4729

WILLIAM GAY YORKE

New York/Canada/England, 1817-1892

The clipper ship Challenge fired upon by C.S.S. Alabama.

Signed lower left "W.G. Yorke". Circa 1888.
Oil on canvas, 24" x 30". Framed 30" x 36".
Condition: The absence of a condition report does not imply an object is free of defects. All items may have normal signs of age and wear commensurate with their age; these issues will likely not be mentioned in the condition report. Please contact Eldred's before the auction with any condition questions. Questions about condition will not be answered after purchase. Condition reports are provided as a courtesy, and we are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Important note on frames: Frames are not guaranteed to be in the same condition as they are in the item photograph. Due to handling and shipping, many frames, especially antique ones, are prone to losses. If you have questions about the condition of a frame, please contact us prior to the auction. 

  • Provenance:
    Vallejo Gallery, Newport Beach, California, 2000.
    The Kelton Collection of Marine Art & Artifacts.

    Notes:
    Research shows the likely date of the painting is based on an illustration by Julian O. Davidson (American, 1853-1894) for the extremely popular 1887 publication "The Battles and Leaders of the Civil War", a four-volume set. Widely distributed and containing numerous original illustrations by Davidson and others, it would have been a source of naval subject matter to inspire Yorke. In the painting, as in the Davidson illustration, it would appear the image is not intended to be the record of an actual event but rather a fictional "chase" genre scene. To that point, it is possible to speculate Yorke may have arbitrarily selected the name of one of New York's most famous clipper ships to give a more regional appeal to his painting.

    Alabama was the most successful commerce raider of all time in terms of numbers of vessels seized -- 65. She accounted for nearly $5 million in losses to the U.S. merchant fleet and was responsible, along with her sister raiders, particularly Shenandoah and Florida for a 900 percent rise in insurance rates for American flag vessels. Alabama was finally sunk by the Union screw sloop Kearsage off Cherbourg, France on June 19, 1864.

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March 1, 2023 9:30 AM EST
East Dennis, MA, US

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