Jan Mooy (1776-1847) Lived/Active: Netherlands

Portrait of the American Ship, “Falcon”
Signed and dated (l.l.): [By] J. Mooy, Helder, 1829
Inscribed (l.c.): Ship Falcon. Captn. N. John Barrow
Watercolor on paper
24” x 28”, 17” x 21 ½” (frame)
Excellent condition, conserved April 2000 (conservation report available upon request), housed in a contemporary frame.
Provenance: Collection of Sally and William Gemmill.
Jan Mooy was a Dutch watercolorist renowned for his marine art, particularly scenes depicting whaling voyages in the Greenland seas during the late 18th century. Mooy was born the son of Maarten Mooy, a prominent whaling captain whose published journal detailing his 1786 expedition aboard the ship Frankendaal inspired much of Jan’s later work. Raised in the naval port of Den Helder, Jan trained as a house painter and glazer, beginning to pursue artistic endeavors from around 1796 until his death in 1847. His earliest works were based on the accounts told within his father’s journal.
Mooy’s output was modest, focusing on commemorative rather than commercial art. Today, his works are included within a number of museum collections including the Peabody-Essex Museum and the New Bedford Whaling Museum.