Lot 541: Joseph Heard (British, 1799-1859) The Ann Falcon

Joseph Heard (British, 1799-1859) The Ann Falcon Rounding the Cape, with a Gypsy Girl on the Deck signed lower left "J Heard 1847" oil on canvas 89 x 59cm Joseph Heard was born in the busy port of Liverpool, and made his career as a ships portraitst recording the burgoening marine traffic coming in and out of the busy port. Paintings by Heard are in the National Maritime Museum and the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. It is very unusual for a woman to be portrayed on board a ship. The Ann Falcon is a typical merchant vessel commonly known as a Snow, (pronounced "snoo") or snaw. A type of brig - snows are often-referred to as "snow-brigs" - snows were primarily used as a merchant ship, but occasionally saw war service The history of the Ann Falcon is as follows: From The Cumberland Pacquet newspaper, 16th January 1844, page 3 : "On the 10th instant a handsome new barque was launched from the building-yard of Mr.Alexander, at Workington, called the Ann Falcon, of 260 tons old measurement, built for Captain Bowness, of the Leo, of Liverpool, and intended for the foreign trade." From the Times newspaper, Saturday, 21st February, 1852, page 7 : "Londonderry, Feb 18.- The Anne Falcon, of Workington, from Limerick for Glasgow, drove ashore on the island of Doagh, near Malin Head, Ireland, during the gale yesterday, and has gone to pieces; crew, except one man, saved." It appears that the Ann Falcon did not "go to pieces" as she appears in the Mercantile Navy List in 1857. In the Marryat system a ship was identified by up to four numeric flags preceeded by a distinguishing pennant. Each distinguishing pennant represented a series of ten thousand ships. The Marryat code was superseded by the International Code of Signals in use today. Flag number 2, 3 and 4 of the painting are international signal codes calls 'Marryat'. The other flags in the painting are probably flags of the company or by the owner.