John Frederick Loos, (Belgian, mid/late 19th Century)

A portrait of the barque Rover of the Seas

A portrait of the barque Rover of the Seas
signed, dated and inscribed 'JOHN. LOOS. ANTWERP. 1871' (lower right)
oil on canvas
53 x 76.5cm (20 7/8 x 30 1/8in).

Provenance
Anon. sale, Bonhams, London, 13 January 1994, lot 348.

Rover of the Seas was a wooden barque built in 1869 in Sunderland by Thompson, the premier shipping firm in Sunderland. Wooden planked over an iron frame, 136.9x27.7x16.2 feet. Registered 417 tons. Built under Lloyd's Special Survey, she was classified as A1 which meant she could carry dry and perishable goods. She traded mainly with South America.
Pilot Jack is flying at the foremast peak, Thompson's house flag at the head of the mainmast. Red ensign at after peak. Underneath that the red and white striped pennant signifies that the four flag hoist at the mizzenmast peak is employing the recently introduced Commercial Code of signals which read HPKF, the correct identification for Rover of the Seas.
Sold to J.Gaudin of Sunderland in 1879, she foundered at sea late December 1885 whilst outward bound from Victoria in the Virgin Islands for Liverpool; all crew were saved.