Antonio Jacobsen

Antonio Jacobsen (1850–1921)

Born in Copenhagen, Jacobsen immigrated to New York in 1873 and soon began painting ships, a subject that became his lifelong passion. Over his career he produced an estimated 5,000–6,000 works, primarily ship portraits commissioned by captains and owners eager to record their vessels. Working from detailed sketches, he chronicled nearly every ship that entered New York Harbor between 1873 and 1919, from tugboats to yachts. His instantly recognizable style—precise profiles and distinctive seas—has made him one of the most celebrated figures in American marine painting.