Édouard Adam, the Iron Barque Polestar in Full Sail, Antique Oil Painting

This charming late-19th-century oil painting by French artist Édouard Adam (1847-1929) depicts the Polestar, an iron barque, in full sail. Adam was a notable ‘pierhead painter’ of marine portraiture.

Built in 1858 by Samuelson of Hull, the Polestar was owned by Colesworth Lyne & Co. and traded between Liverpool and the west coast of both North and South America. It was later converted into a coal hulk for the Booth Line in Para, Brazil. Evidently, she also sailed to Le Havre in northwest France, as this painting was commissioned there.

Édouard Adam was Le Havre’s leading ship portraitist and worked at the port for over fifty years. His extensive body of work is an education on the evolving shipping industry, as it transitioned from sail to steam.

Born in Brie-Comte-Robert, near Paris, he studied under Jean-Baptiste Henri Durand-Brager (1814-1879), an experienced marine painter and former naval officer. Captain Durand-Brager accompanied the fleet that repatriated Napoleon's remains in 1840.

Following his training, Adam remained in Paris for several years and married Kate Waters, an English woman. He’s recorded as a full-time artist, although little is known about his early works. In 1872, he moved to the busy port town of Le Havre, where his career began to gather momentum. A plethora of merchant ships docked there, with several owners opening offices, including the Bordes shipping company, which provided a source of regular commissions. It appears he found a niche in the market, as before long, he’d developed a solid reputation among numerous shipping companies as a portraitist of merit. Indeed, ‘La Compagnie Générale Transatlantique’ hired him to paint every ship in their fleet.

Adam was a cut above, predominantly due to his fastidiousness and deep respect for the heritage of sailing. He sought to become a curator at the nearby maritime museum, such was his passion for the sea. Captains were rarely disappointed by his keen observational skills and superior breadth of knowledge.

In 1881, with his notoriety at its peak, he undertook numerous portraits and marine battle scenes for Admiral François-Edmond Pâris. Four years later, he was appointed an official painter for the French Navy. Towards the end of the 19th century, with the gradual withdrawal of sailing ships, he continued in the same vein - producing accurate portrayals for numerous owners.

Today, thanks to him and the other pierhead painters of Northern Europe, thousands of vessels are recorded for posterity. His son, Victor Charles Édouard Adam (1868-1938), also became an artist.

He’s represented extensively in public collections, including at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, Musée d'Orsay and the Musée National de la Marine in Paris.

Signed in the lower right and held in a later frame.

Learn more about Édouard Adam in our directory.

Medium: Oil on canvas

Overall size: 41” x 29” / 105cm x 74cm

Year of creation: 1881

Labels & Inscriptions: Inscribed ‘Havre’.

Provenance: Private collection, UK.

Condition: Cleaned. Revarnished. Canvas relined. Fine craquelure throughout. The paint layer is stable. Areas of retouching relating to a previous repair. Frame in excellent condition.

Artist’s auction maximum: £24,222 for ‘Départ de régate au passage du bateau comité – Goélettes en course représentant au premier plan les goélettes Velox portant le guidon du Yacht Club de France et Fiona.’, Oil on canvas, Rennes Enchères, Nature & Merveilles 2, London, 24 February 2022 (lot 134).

Our reference: BRV2055