John Bentham Dinsdale, (British, 1927-2008)

'The Clipper Ship The Wild Deer'

'The Clipper Ship The Wild Deer'
signed 'John Bentham-Dinsdale' (lower left) and signed and titled (on canvas verso)
oil on canvas
45.7 x 55.9cm (18 x 22in).

Provenance
With Omell Galleries, London.
The Buck family (acquired from the above in 1986).

The present lot comes with the original Omell Galleries invoice and a photocopy of a signed letter from the artist which reads:

'Built on the Clyde, the Wild Deer was the first composite built ship by Charles Connell - she was launched in December 1863.

One Captain George Cobb took this splendid Clipper Ship from the Stocks and made several very fast pasages[sic] in her. Alas he died on board en route from China and was succeeded by a Dutchman named Ganzwyk. He was no match for Cobb his passage from London to Shanghai took 155 days against Cobbs 98!

In 1866 The Wild Deer was sold to the Albion Shipping Co. which later in 1882 merged with the renowned Shaw Saville Line. In the 70's she was much used as a passenger carrier to Australia and New Zealand. Her end came in 1883 when she was wrecked off the coast of Co. Down Ireland.'