Painting - wreck of the Star of Greece

Details

ProvenanceNoted Australian marine artist GF Gregory paiinted this watercolour just after the sinking of the Star of Greece in 1888. The tragedy shook the colony and both artists and writers documented and memorialised the event. Victorian based Gregory worked in South Australia sporadically before establishing a busiiness there in 1888. His reconstruction of the Star of Greece wreck was probably pieced together from eyewitness accounts, his observations after the wreck, and a dash of artistic license. There was a great market for the saile fo scenes of maritime calamaties and Gregory created many renditions of the scene as 'souvenirs' of the event. They remain his best known works. The painting was originally donated to the Port Adelaide Nautical Museum.by C.B. Fischer on 4th July 1938.SignificanceThe wreck of the Star of Greece on 13 July 1888 shookthe colony of South Australia. Not only did it lead to a devasting loss of life and cargo, but highlighted the grossly inadequate measures for maritime safety. There was no rocket apparatus to fire a line to the ship at Port Willunga and by the time, the apparatus was retrieved from Port Adelaide, 17 crew had perished in the stormy seas. The ship was heavily laden with a cargo of wheat destined for the UK. The object links to one of the most infamous shipwrecks in South Australia's history - one that inspired a major revision of maritime safety in the colony. With no photographs of the event, the painting evokes the desperation and drama of the incident better than any other medium.DescriptionWatercolour of the wreck of the Star of Greece ( Port Willunga, 13 July 1888) by marine artist G.F. Gregory. The scene, painted just after the event. It depicts the ship in distress in stormy sea with people assisting from the shore. It is presented in an ornate gilt frame.Creator (person)George F. GregoryCreator (organisation) Acknowledgement KeywordspaintingsDate of Creation1888Date of UsageMaterialGlass - unspecified
|Wood - unspecified
|Metal - foil or gilding any metal type
|Paper - unspecified
DimensionType: Framed
Height: 650
Width: 840
Depth: 65
Unit (Lengths): mm
Accession NumberHT 2010.0678

Connections

CollectionCollectionsStoryStar of Greece

Image Credits

Image FilenameHT2010-0678_CI5352.jpgCopyrightOut of copyrightLicensePublic DomainPhotographerJames Bateman

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