Thomas Jacques Somerscales (1842-1927)

oil on canvas

Estate of Margaret Curphey Barlow

The canvas is well stretched. There are slight frame abrasions along the top edge with a small 1/8 in. retouched area of paint loss. Under ultraviolet light, there is a 3 in. area of scattered inpainting along the top edge as well as in the upper right corner, the upper left quadrant of the sky and a 1 in. spot 10 in. from the right border along the bottom edge. Overall in good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The nineteenth-century British painter Thomas Jacques Somerscales began his career not as an artist but as a naval teacher at sea. However a severe bout with malaria forced him to abandon the sea and move to Chile in 1869 where he secured a teaching position at the prestigious MacKay Academy. Serendipitously he discovered his true calling during his prolonged sojourn in South America. Somerscales became a noted painter of land- and seascapes and is today considered Valparaiso's most famous painter. Although virtually self-taught, Somerscales's paintings reveal the hands of an able draftsman coupled with an exquisite use of light, color and perspective.

At first glance Somerscales's picturesque views may seem like nostalgic remnants of a bygone era, however works like View of the Port and Harbor of Valparaíso, Chile go beyond mere landscapes to record for posterity the City's unique geopolitical position during the second half of the nineteenth-century. Nicknamed "The Jewel of the Pacific," Valparaíso served as a major destination point for ships traveling between the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean via the Straits of Magellan. As a major hub for trade and commerce, Valparaíso was a bustling, cosmopolitan center with a culturally diverse population comprised of immigrant communities from England, Germany, France, Switzerland and Italy. And, although the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 transformed its economy, Valparaíso is still considered one of Chile's most important seaports and increasingly a vital cultural centre in the Pacific Southwest Hemisphere. Likewise, the City continues to lure tourists from all over the world, and curiously for an artist whose paintings have come to represent Valparaíso in the collective imagination, today the artist's former home is a landmark and one of the City's most romantic and sought after hotels.