WEST JONES ADVISORS

JAMES E. BUTTERSWORTH (British, 1817–1894)
Puritan and Genesta, America's Cup Defense, 1885

Signed 'J.E. Buttersworth' (lower right)
oil on canvas, circa 1885
12 1/8 x 18 1/8 inches

The elegant canvas Puritan and Genesta presents a beautifully rendered depiction of the America's Cup Defense of 1885. Visible at left with her white hull is the racing yacht Puritan leading the British yacht Genesta at right nearest to the foreground. At the peak of the topmast of Puritan on the left flies the white and red private signal of the Boston syndicate. This private flag was flown rather than the burgee of the New York Yacht Club.  At the peak of Genesta is a white flag with a red cross. This the challengers flag which represented the Royal Yacht Squadron. 

The syndicate Puritan was owned and skippered by American businessman and sportsman, John Malcolm Forbes (1847–1904) who led the first of three successful America's Cup defenses. At the order of a Boston syndicate led by Forbes, Puritan was designed by the American yacht designer, Edward Burgess (1848–1891) and was built at the George Lawley & Son shipbuilding yard in South Boston. Puritan was an early combination of American and English design, incorporating the depth of a cutter, but beam and power of a sloop. Puritan went on to successfully defend the America's Cup against her challenger Genesta in 1885, and the syndicate led by Forbes became a template for successful America's Cup campaign management.

In this elegant work, Buttersworth's mastery as a mature marine painter is on full display.  He captures the tension of the scene with a commanding use of color depicting a vibrant sky with threatening clouds on the horizon. He adopts an L-shaped composition, placing the action in the middle ground with the long, low hull of Puritan parallel to the horizon while the bright spread of sails reach toward the dramatic sky. Buttersworth's deep knowledge of the vessels is clear in the accurate and detailed rendering of rigging and lines.  The choppy sea is dynamic,  illuminated around the vessels shifting to a deep greenish blue in the foreground. Puritan and Genesta’s bright billowing sails and crisp white crests of foam emphasize the movement, speed, and excitement of the race.