Can someone help identify an original piece done of the whaling ship "Wanderer"?

Forums: Art, Help, Identify, Sketch, Shipwreck
Email this Topic • Print this Page

I'm a huge ship and fisherman boat artwork collector (nothing of big named artists, just whatever I find that I like) and I have this piece that's been driving me nuts for months as I can't seem to find anything about the piece or any pieces like it.

The item feels like some sort of light drift wood plank, dark in color, and cut so that it's shaped but with some slight damage to the board itself. The wood grain and color looks almost identical as the mailbox seen at this link:
Edit [Moderator]: Link removed

The art on it seems to be a piece of canvas-like material/paper, possibly even a thick parchment material, that's tattered and worn. On it is a sketch of some sorts of the ship, which looks to be done in pencil or charcoal, bearing the letters "The Wanderer" with "New Bedford" under it, on the front/butt of the ship.

The paper is yellowed with age and some of the sketch appears to be slightly smudged or faded. There is also a darkened ring on the face where there is a knot in the wood that the material is on top of.

Due to this, I'm unable to read the author's signature, which is on the lower right hand corner of the paper/material.

At first, it appeared the signature may have said "Gerard"

Here are some photos of the piece:

Overall Image of the face:
http://i.imgur.com/6aqtjOv.jpg

Close up on the sails that shows strokes:
http://i.imgur.com/mnoiXXt.jpg

Butt of the Boat:
http://i.imgur.com/FSt1t0Y.jpg

Marking where it looks like the signature was:
http://imgur.com/xhD88Zg

Full sized/high quality where it looks like the artist's signature was (unfortunately, camera never captures as well as the naked eye):
http://i.imgur.com/zT9PMHD.jpg?1

Close up of a worn edge:
http://i.imgur.com/1Kp1UYC.jpg

Top of the board:
http://i.imgur.com/m4GOA43.jpg

Ring on the face from the knot:
http://i.imgur.com/7gMplal.jpg

Knot causing the ring:
http://i.imgur.com/gRjRCBN.jpg

Full view of the back of the board:
http://i.imgur.com/zGaLvZU.jpg

"Title" of the board:
http://i.imgur.com/3rNraRK.jpg

Let me know if any more pictures are needed to help with the identification of the piece. I have a great SLR Canon Digital Camera that I use with a decent "Macro" focus on it so I can take closer or more pictures if requested.

I essentially just want to know who the artist is and if this piece was created using a plank from the shipwrecked "Wanderer" whaling ship. As I said, I've been searching everywhere to see if I could find anything about it or any like pieces and so far, I've come across nothing.

Majority of my family comes from New Bedford, MA, and many of my late family members, were whalers and fisherman, including my grandfather who has been a commercial fisherman for most of his life.

Random known facts about the ship, The Wanderer (aka the Whaling bark Wanderer):
Edit [Moderator]: Link removed

Topic Stats
Top Replies
Link to this Topic

Type: Question • Score: 0 • Views: 2,220 • Replies: 4

No top replies

@CBachand,

Interesting. I recall that, at Mystic, there was an exhibit of the Wanderer since this barque stood in for th Chas W Morgan in a 1920's movie about the sea and sailing ships . SO I went to their site and theres a similar print that they sell of the Wanderer

http://www.arthurmonizgallery.com/whaling-1.htm

Seems these two scenes are from the same perspective. Ive looked at yours and it looks like someone collaged a print onto that pine board.
The wood isn't old, its been stained.
Do you think that the picture that's been collaged is a litho or a pencil sketch original (if it were a pencil sketch its too damned good to be collaged like that and anyone who did that should be shot.
The original pencil sketch is really a good work, not too fussy and very "painterly"

Id try to seek out its nature (litho or pencil, or a multilith)
Do you see bunches of dots in the areas of grey tone or pencil lines?

1 Reply

@farmerman,

I found the print on the site and it really looks like the image on the wood was inspired by, or based off of, the print by Arthur Moniz.

It looks like an original pencil sketch. There's a few smudges on the sketch and, looking past the discoloration and stain of the paper, most of the grey-tone shading looks like very light lines and "squiggles". There's also a few areas on the boat that looks like the pencil was erased to create a smoother "edge" or help contrast/differentiate parts of the sails and boat.

I'll take a better look at it again later this evening and see if I can pinpoint any absolute evidence that will help determine if this is an original sketch or if it's just a collage/print.

Any clue on how to figure out who the artist was/is?

1 Reply

@CBachand,

I started a thread on marine art last year and its got a number of the greats shown in there but ID say that it looks like a Dawson who did lots of sketches of his works. It could be Jack Coggins or even (be still my heart) Emille Gruppe . Gruppe did fantastic "copy work" from older art work and his stuff always improved the originals.

Id say that if its an original, just hope it isn't glued so badly that it hurts its value (Gluing an original to any backing is a real value killer.
I must say though, its a really well done subject.
I wish you good luck on this quest cause its a killer drawing (or print)

1 Reply

@farmerman,

SORRY, I didn't originally check back to see that my copy didn't regiter (OOPS). Heres the ink sketch by Moniz that I saw from the Mystic Seaport .

I wonder if you contact someone up there about your work?

http://www.arthurmonizgallery.com/whalers/Wanderer-BW.jpg

Tell you the truth, I like yours waay better than the ink sketch

0 Replies

Can someone help identify an original piece done of the whaling ship "Wanderer"?

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know