Background

Antonio Jacobsen was born November 2, 1850 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was the son of the son of a famous Danish violinmaker. His family had been violin makers for generations. His father encouraged him to practice a similar craft.

Education

At an early age, Antonio Jacobsen enrolled at the Danish Royal Academy of Design (now Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts) in Copenhagen, however, reversed family fortunes forced him to withdraw.

Career

At the age eighteen, it was compulsory for him to join the Danish military forces, he decided instead, to sail for America. He left his family behind and arrived in New York in the early 1870's. Like many other immigrants, he went to New York City's Battery Park looking for work. He passed his days sketching the ships that sailed in and out of the harbor. Not before long a representative from Marvin Safe Company noticed his drawings and offered him a job decorating safes. His ability as an artist was further recognized as he began to receive commissions from sea captains and ship owners and eventually Steamship companies, to record their entire fleet.

The Old Dominion Line, The Fall River Line and The White Star Line are some of the steamship companies that commissioned him to paint portraits of all the ship in their respective fleets. In addition, the Clyde Line, the Black Ball Line and the Mallory Line, the Anchor Line and Red Star Lines also sought his services. The notoriety that Jacobsen received from all these commissions helped establish him as the foremost chronicler of American shipping in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In 1880, with Jacobsen's increasing prosperity, he with his family was able to move to a beautiful house in Hoboken, New Jersey. This home became a mecca for seafarers and artists as well. On Sun­days, Jacobsen would arrange concerts, at his house, of he and his friends playing chamber music or string quartets. Several of the artists that visited include Fred Pansing, James Buttersworth, F. Bishop and Frederick Cozzens.

As the years passed, Jacobsen's style became more progressive, he depended less on commissions and more on his own creativity.

Achievements

• Antonio Jacobsen was a prolific painter and throughout his life painted an estimated 6000 paintings. Paintings by artist display a meticulous and traditional nature underlined by strict attention to detail. Absolute accuracy in rigging, wind direction and specific vessel details contribute to Jacobsen's paintings' reputation as the best of their genre.
  
  Works by Jacobsen can be seen in most major collections of marit­ime art including the Peabody Museum, The Mariners Museum, Seaman's Bank for Savings, etc.

Works

More photos

• painting

  • Sappho off Sandy Hook Lightship

    1870

  • The Yacht Race

    1874

  • Vision and Dauntless off Sandy Hook Lightship

    1876

  • Athens

    1878

  • The S. S. France of the French Line at Sea

    1878

  • SS Columbia

    1880

  • The Clipper Ship Laomene under Full Sail

    1883

  • The 'American' Leaving New York Harbor

    1884

  • Rounding the Mark, NYCC Regatta

    1886

  • Stormy Seas

    1886

  • The S. S. City of New York at Sea

    1890

  • The Pilot Schooner Phantom

    1891

  • The S. S. Touraine of the French Line at Sea

    1891

  • The Steamship Iroquois

    1891

  • Antilla

    1893

  • Lumber Schooner in New York's Lower Bay

    1894

  • Campania

    1895

  • The S. S. Orizaba at Sea

    1895

  • Yacht Race

    1895

  • U.S. Army Transport Warren

    1900

  • M. Morgan Tugboat

    1901

  • The Minnehaha

    1902

  • A Ship's Portrait

    1903

  • The Paddle Steamer Larchmont

    1903

  • Steamship Riviera

    1906

  • The Albany Dayliner, The Henrick Hudson

    1906

  • Schooner 'Marie Gilbert'

    1907

  • Defender

    1908

  • Tidal Wave and Dreadnought

    1908

  • The Dutch Steamer Vaderland on a Choppy Sea

    1909

  • The Momus

    1909

  • The S. S. Cerea at Sea

    1909

  • The Sailing Ship 'George W. Truitt, Jr.'

    1910

  • S.S. Oceana

    1915

  • U. S. Ship-of-The-Line

    1916

  • The American Clipper Ship Gamecock under Full Sail

    1918

  • S.S. Manhattan

  • Sappho vs. Livonia, Americas Cup, 1871

    1871

  • Steamship OSCAR II Entering New York Harbor

  • The Clipper Ship 'Triumphant'

  • The Cornwall

  • The R.M.S. Gallia of the Cunard Line at Sea

  • The Yacht Defender, on a Leeward Reach by Sandy Hook

Connections

In 1878, Antonio Jacobsen married Mary Melania Schmidt. The couple established residence, combining their working and living space in New York. Three children were born to the couple: Carl Ferdinand, Helen and Alphonse. Both of Jacobsen's sons were competent painters.

Spouse:

Mary Melania Jacobsen

Son:

Carl Ferdinand Jacobsen

Daughter:

Helen Jacobsen

Son:

Alphonse Jacobsen

References

• Antonio Jacobsen's painted ships on painted oceans
  1994
• The Collection of John J. McMullen Antonio Jacobsen Paintings
  1994
• From Sail to Steam Includes 24 color plates from the W. W. Sullivan Marine collection as well as a brief biography of the artist. Includes a checklist of hundreds of pieces of Jacobsen art as well as the owning collection.
  1972