Baltic Barque Ship Britannia Of Åland Under Full Sail — Capt. August Ekblom





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Description



B. Hartvik (Scandinavian School, 20th Century)
Britannia of Åland Under Full Sail, 1979
After Andreas Gundersen Lind (1815–1885)

Signed Maritime Oil on Canvas | Baltic Trading Barque and Ship Portrait

Highlights

• Substantial Scandinavian maritime oil painting on canvas.
• Painted in Mariehamn, Åland, in 1979 by B. Hartvik.
• Depicts the three-masted barque Britannia of Åland under full sail.
• Inscribed with the vessel’s name and her master, Captain August Ekblom.
• Based upon an original gouache painted in London in 1869 by Andreas Gundersen Lind.
• Signed, dated and extensively inscribed by B. Hartvik.
• Detailed depiction of the vessel’s rigging, sail plan and maritime signal flags.
• Presented in its original 1970s gilt moulded frame.
• Documented auction and commercial provenance.
• An impressive statement piece with considerable maritime and decorative interest.

Introduction

A substantial and historically evocative Scandinavian maritime oil painting depicting the three-masted trading barque Britannia of Åland under full sail.

Executed in Mariehamn in 1979 by B. Hartvik, the painting follows an original gouache painted in London in 1869 by the Norwegian ship portraitist and former master mariner Andreas Gundersen Lind.

The composition is prominently inscribed with the name of the vessel and her master, Captain August Ekblom, lending the work documentary significance beyond its considerable decorative appeal. It belongs to the established Northern European tradition of ship portraiture, in which working vessels were recorded with close attention to their construction, rigging and individual identity.

Catalogue Details

Artist: B. Hartvik

School: Scandinavian School

Date: 1979

Title: Britannia of Åland Under Full Sail

Medium: Oil on canvas

Subject: Three-masted Baltic trading barque

Vessel: Britannia of Åland

Master: Captain August Ekblom

After: Andreas Gundersen Lind (Norwegian, 1815–1885)

Original composition: Gouache painted in London in 1869

Place of execution: Mariehamn, Åland

Signature and inscription: Signed, dated and inscribed to the lower left

Frame: Original 1970s gilt moulded frame

Catalogue Note

The Britannia is shown in full profile beneath an extensive spread of canvas, allowing the vessel’s hull, masts, spars, standing rigging and running rigging to be clearly observed.

Square sails are set upon the foremast and mainmast, while the mizzen carries its fore-and-aft rig. Multiple headsails and staysails complete the arrangement, presenting the vessel in favourable sailing conditions and making steady progress across a gently rolling sea.

Hartvik carefully differentiates the sails through restrained tonal modelling. Variations of light and shadow convey the pressure of the wind against the canvas, while the darker rigging creates an intricate linear framework across the composition.

A low coastline appears in the distance to the left, possibly intended to suggest the English coast or the approaches to London. A secondary sailing vessel can be seen on the far horizon, increasing the sense of depth and placing the Britannia within an active maritime passage.

The comparatively restrained treatment of the sea and sky reflects the documentary purpose of traditional ship portraiture: the named vessel remains the principal focus rather than serving merely as an element within a dramatic seascape.

The Ship and Historical Context

Britannia is depicted as a three-masted barque, a highly practical merchant rig widely employed during the nineteenth century. By combining square sails on the foremast and mainmast with fore-and-aft sails on the mizzen, the barque offered a useful balance of cargo-carrying capacity, ocean-going performance and economical crewing.

The painting records the ship with a full sail plan, including square courses, topsails and upper sails, together with headsails and staysails. These details identify the vessel as a working merchant ship rather than an imaginary maritime subject.

The Britannia appears to fly the Russian merchant ensign, consistent with Åland’s historical position within the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland under the Russian Empire between 1809 and 1917.

A red masthead pennant bears the name BRITANNIA, while additional signal flags introduce further identifying and communicative details. Such features were an important part of documentary ship portraiture and helped distinguish an individual vessel.

The original composition was painted in London in 1869, during the final decades of commercial sail. Scandinavian and Baltic vessels formed an important part of Britain’s maritime trade, transporting commodities including timber, grain and other essential goods between northern European and British ports.

The Artist

B. Hartvik

Little biographical information is presently available concerning B. Hartvik. The signature and inscription identify the artist as the painter of this 1979 oil and record its execution in Mariehamn, Åland.

The work demonstrates a close understanding of Scandinavian ship portraiture and belongs to a continuing maritime tradition in which historically important vessels and earlier documentary compositions were preserved through carefully executed later versions.

Andreas Gundersen Lind

Andreas Gundersen Lind was born in Norway in 1815 and became an accomplished ship portraitist with first-hand maritime experience.

He obtained his master mariner’s credentials in Trondheim in 1840 and commanded vessels for approximately two decades. According to historical accounts, he later settled in London and established a studio near the Tower of London, within easy reach of the city’s docks.

His practical experience at sea informed the structural accuracy of his ship portraits. Lind became known for recording individual vessels with close attention to hull form, rigging, sail configuration and identifying flags.

The present composition follows an original gouache painted by Lind in London in 1869.

Signature and Inscriptions

Signed, dated and inscribed to the lower left:

“After And. Lind’s gouache painted in London 1869. Mariehamn 1979 B. Hartvik.”

The ship inscription reads:

“BRITANNIA FRÅN ÅLAND CAPT. AUG. EKBLOM”

Provenance

Recorded in the art market with the sale date 27 February 2013, according to a MutualArt record; the underlying auction details are not presently publicly indexed.

Sale, Skånes Auktionsverk, Landskrona, Sweden, online auction, 18 December 2018.

Private collection.

With Bushwood Antiques.

Curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.

Dimensions

Canvas:
80 cm wide × 58.5 cm high

Framed:
87 cm wide × 65.5 cm high × 3.7 cm deep

All measurements are approximate.

Condition Report

The painting presents with strong visual and historical interest but displays condition issues consistent with age, previous storage and environmental exposure.

There are areas of paint loss, particularly within the sky and sea, together with surface staining, spotting and generalised craquelure across the painted surface. Vertical water staining is visible.

The canvas exhibits areas of thinning and several small tears. Professional cleaning, consolidation and sympathetic restoration are recommended. Such treatment would be expected to improve the clarity, stability and overall appearance of the work.

The original gilt moulded frame displays losses to the gilded finish, discolouration, staining and general wear consistent with age.

The painting is offered in its present unrestored condition. Please inspect all listing photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition report. Further photographs and information are available upon request.



Reserve: $8,100.00

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