Author: MOOIJ, Jan.- Watercolour.- USA ship.- JANSON.- 1820
Title: Lower margin of the watercolour the following text: 'Het Zinken van het Amerikaanse Schip Janson. Voor de Helder Komende van Batavia, 4 Feb.ry 1820'. Splendid original watercolour of the American Ship 'Anson', wrecked by the ice in 1820, between Den Helder and the Island of Texel, sailing from Batavia. Jan Mooij, it seems, was an eye-witness to the event and painted at least 3 versions of this watercolour, one of which [attributed to Jan Mooy but without the text and signature which is on our watercolour] in the Peabody Museum [catalogue p. 209 ill. in colour]. Signed lower right on one of the ice 'schotsen' 'Door J.Mooij'. Depicted are the three stages of the ship's unfortunate fate: from right to left, depicting the ship's ever increasing perilous situation. 1. the "Janson" surrounded by ice, stuck. 2. The ship overpowered by the ice and first signs of sinking, 2 life boats and a 'sloep' rowing away from the ship. 3. To the left the "Janson" already half submerged, 4 lifeboats.
Description: No date [February 1820?]. Plano sheet folded once. Central fold vaguely visible. [Meas. 37 x 45.5 cm]. Original watercolour. Condition is good, but for 2 [mirrored] vague waterspots [6 x 10 cm] central in the image [mirrored its seems when it was still folded], a few brown spots, some chips to the edges, restored with japanese paper, a false blank margin added using Japanese paper, facilitating matting / use of a passepartout. Stichting Maritiem-Historische databank: De Rotterdamsche Courant van 6 Februari meldt: 'Amsterdam, 6 februari. Kapt. B. Maijo, JANSON, van Batavia, gisteren voor gaats, is hedenmorgen onder zeil gegaan, doch tegen de rug vastgeraakt zijnde, met adsistentie van sloepen weder in vlot water gebragt, zonder schade aan het schip gekregen te hebben; vervolgens naar binnen gezeild, met mistige lucht en weinig gezigt, tot digt bij het Nieuwe Diep genaderd; toen stil wordende en de eb doorkomende, op 14 vademen geankerd zijnde, is het ijs van de Zuidwal en het Nieuwe Diep aankomen drijven tegen de boeg, sneed door het schip, dat hetzelve dadelijk lek werd, en met pompen niet boven gehouden kon worden; het schip voor al weg beginnende te zinken, is achteruit drijvende, voor Den Helder, tegen drie uren, na gissing in de tijd van 5 minuten, geheel gezonken; de kapitein en het volk hebben slechts de tijd gehad zich met enig goed met hun boot te redden, en zijn behouden aan wal gekomen; van het schip en de lading is niets te zien.': The 'Janson', owned by S.G.Arnold & Co., a.o., under Command of Captain Benjamin Maijo, hailed from Providence, Rhode Island. Jan Mooij, a Dutch Marine painter, probably witnessed the event first-hand. According to Scheen, vol. II, p. 74, Jan Mooij [Callantsoog 1776 - Den Helder 1847] was 'schilder and glazenmaker' and worked in Den Helder, his main topic being the painting of ships in watercolour. Both the Nederlands Historisch Scheepvaart Museum and Maritiem Museum Prins Hendrik Rotterdam have work by Mooij in their collection. Peabody Museum, Catalogue, item 984, for an unsigned watercolour depicting the same scene [full page col. illustration at p. 209], ascribed to Mooij: J.Welles Henderson & Rodney P. Carlisle, 'Marine art & antiques Jack Tar a sailor's life [Woodbridge, 1999], p. 230 : 'The ship Janson of Providence, Rhode Island, had arrived at Texel Road off New Dieppe [Nieuwe Diep] from Batavia with a valuable cargo of coffee and rice. Staring from the right the watercolour shows three stages: 1. anchored amid drift ice that stove in the bow, 2. the ship is sinking and the crew is making efforts to abandon ship, 3. the ship is about to disappear. According to one report, nothing was saved but 'all hands' and the stearn boat. The ship's pet monkey is running up the rigging of the main mast as the ship is about to sink completely.'. Apart from the unsigned Peabody watercolour and our signed copy, a third one, signed, was sold in the trade around 2010-2011 for appr. 4900 euro. Our price reflects condition.

Keywords: watercolours naval history Bosch