Oil on canvas laid on board, dated 1849.  17 1/2" x 25 1/2", signed and dated lower right.  Light cracking to the painting, but stable; no evidence of inpainting.  In impressive frame, 30 1/2" x 38".

This painting was given as a gift to William E Umstattd  president of The Timken Steel & Tube Company, from S.A. Francaise Timken in 1949.  

Barthelemy Lauvergne was a naval draughtsman and marine painter, born in Toulon, France, 1805.

From 1826 to 1829 he served in the Astrolabe as secretary to Dumont d’Urville, visiting– five points on the Australian coast. The commander had instructed 'young Lauvergne, my secretary, to take views of all the coasts and islands which we saw during the voyage his  Australian coastal profiles are included in the collection now in the Archives Nationales.

Like Louis le Breton and Charles Meryon , Lauvergne sought to turn his artistic skills and distant experiences to further advantage, exhibiting in the Paris Salon from 1838, when he showed Frigate Running before the Wind, Sea Study (Cape Horn) , until at least 1849. He was awarded a third-class medal at the 1839 Salon and became a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur in 1841. From 1841 to 1854 Lauvergne was in Paris, working in the Naval Ministry and in the Department of Maps and Charts where his colleagues would have included le Breton. He returned to Toulon in 1854 and died there in 1871.

Please ask all questions prior to bidding, additional photos and condition reports are available for all lots. Lot descriptions and condition reports represent the informed opinion of Peterborough Auctions, but do not serve as a guarantee. The absence of a condition report does not guarantee excellent condition or imply an object is free of defects. Many old frames are delicate and prone to loss from handling and shipping and we can not guarantee frames to be in the same condition as when photographed. Within a reasonable margin, all weights and measurements should be considered approximate. Please inquire about accepted payment methods on expensive lots or invoice totals.