Antonio Nicolo Gasparo Jacobsen

Danish

(1850-1921)

 

Antonio Jacobsen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1850 to a family of violinmakers. He began his studies at the Royal Academy of Design in Copenhagen but was forced to withdraw due to an adverse change in his family’s finances. At the age of 18 he sailed to America in order to avoid joining the Danish military forces.

 

Jacobsen arrived in New York in the early 1870’s and worked at decorating safe doors for the Marvin Safe Company. He began to receive commissions from sea captains and ship owners and eventually Steamship companies to record their fleet. The Old Dominion Line, The Fall River Line and the White Star Line are some of the steamship companies that commissioned him to paint portraits of all their ships in their respective fleets.

 

In 1878 he married and in 1880 he moved to Hoboken, New Jersey. His home became a gathering place for marine artists and seafarers. His work was sought after and he no longer was dependent on commissions and could focus on more creative paintings. His style had been rigid and historical then softened and he painted more imaginative scenes. He is said to have painted as many as 6,000 paintings in his lifetime. He died in Hoboken in 1921.

 

His works are in many prominent museums throughout the United State and Europe.