Mid-Century Framed Oil Painting of Four-Masted Ship by Alfred Gabali 'The Preussen'

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A dramatic maritime oil painting by German-American artist Alfred Gabali (1886–1963), depicting the legendary five-masted sailing ship Preussen underway at … Read more A dramatic maritime oil painting by German-American artist Alfred Gabali (1886–1963), depicting the legendary five-masted sailing ship Preussen underway at sea. Gabali captures the extraordinary scale and elegance of the great vessel under full sail, its towering masts and billowing canvas silhouetted against a luminous, atmospheric sky. The darker rolling sea below gives the composition wonderful movement and depth, while the restrained palette of warm grays, ochres and deep marine tones creates the romantic quality associated with traditional maritime painting. Presented in its dark molded frame with a narrow gilt liner, the painting has wonderful scale and presence.
Gabali was particularly well suited to paint the great sailing ships of an earlier era because he had actually lived the life of a seaman. Born in Cologne, Germany in 1886, he went to sea at sixteen and sailed aboard European sailing vessels before pursuing painting professionally. His first artistic instruction came from marine painter Schnars Alquist, whom Gabali met while at sea.
After years of sailing and further artistic study, he established himself as a professional painter in Hamburg in 1923. He later lived in Holland before immigrating to the United States in 1949, eventually establishing his studio on Cape Cod. His firsthand knowledge of ships and the sea remained central to his work throughout his career, giving paintings such as this one a convincing sense of movement, rigging and life upon the water.
Circa mid-1900s
Measures 48H x 80W x 2.5D
This work of art is available at Inessa Stewart’s Antiques, Dallas, Texas. See less