From the tumbling ocean waves to the great white sails, to the softly rendered clouds drifting in a pale sky, it is a pleasure to see this quintessential maritime painting restored to its former splendour.
With the canvas itself in need of a deep clean, the painting’s lovely gilt frame also required some attention, receiving a clean and touch up. With years’ worth of dust and debris now carefully washed away, the painting and frame shine once again, protected and preserved for many years to come.
An essential vessel during the 19th century’s surge in emigration and expatriation, clipper ships carried passengers from the docks of Liverpool to Europe, the Americas and particularly Australia, with travellers hoping to strike it rich during the Australian gold rushes. The most famous of these clipper ships being the Champion of the Seas, setting a record for the fastest day’s run in 24 hours, which it held for 130 years.
Today, with only two such vessels remaining intact, this restoration has not only preserved a classic painting within a time-honoured genre, but also an essential historic record.
