Lot 93: Jacob C. Ward (American, 1809-1891) Animated View of Valparaiso Harbor Signed and dated "J.C....

Jacob C. Ward (American, 1809-1891)

Animated View of Valparaiso Harbor
Signed and dated "J.C. WARD 1845" l.r.
Oil on canvas, 37 1/2 x 54 in. (95.1 x 137.2 cm), framed.
Condition: Lined (onto solid support), scattered retouch, craquelure.
Provenance: Directly from the artist to the Loring family then, by descent, to the current owner.
N.B. Jacob Ward traveled to Chile in 1845 with his brother Charles V. Ward. The two worked in Valparaiso and Santiago, Chile, sketching and taking daguerreotypes. During this time they also traveled to Peru, Bolivia, and Panama. They returned to the United States in 1847 or 1848.
Valparaiso was a very important port of call in the 19th century as vessels that traveled from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean stopped there to resupply. The port has had a long established relationship with Massachusetts. The sons of George Loring of Hingham established Loring & Company in Valparaiso and were actively engaged in trading during the period of this painting. In this scene the port is depicted before the great expansion that occurred in the late 1840's and early 1850's. When gold was discovered in California, Valparaiso became the most important stopping place for the vessels carrying the "forty-niners" to the gold fields.
The Naval vessel in this harbor scene is flying the National Flag of Chile officially adopted in 1817, also on her stern is painted "Chile." The flag of Chile is very similar to the state flag of Texas and similar to the Confederate States of America's flag, called the "stars and bars". However the flag was adopted by Chile long before the flag of Texas and the Confederate flag were used. The flag flying from the main mast is the flag of the Vice Commodore of the Chilean Navy. The flag is again represented on the bow of the gig boat which is being rowed in the direction of the vessel, indicating that the Vice Commodore is returning to his ship.

We are grateful to Charles Lanagan for his assistance with cataloguing this lot.