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Sternpiece Rendered by American 20th Century watercolor and graphite on paper overall: 29.1 x 49.9 cm (11 7/16 x 19 5/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 75" long Index of American Design 1943.8.16368 |
Object 5 of 26
The stern of the ship was usually decorated with a sternboard or sternpiece, such as the one shown here. The eagle was a favorite motif, but other subjects included allegorical figures, the American Indian, and occasionally the shipowner or his wife. This sternpiece was made for the John Penrose, in the early nineteenth century. It shows the owner in a thoughtful pose, surrounded by books, a globe, and a compass, indicating his scholarly and nautical interests.
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