Description: The Madeleine's victory over the Countess
of Dufferin, third America's Cup challeger, August 11, 1876 signed 'Ed Moran'
(lower left) oil on board 113/8 x 9 in. (28.8 x 22.8 cm.)
NOTES: In April of 1876 the New York Yacht Club received a challenge
from Major Charles Gifford, the Vice-Commodore of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club
of Toronto, for the America's Cup, which it had held since 1871 when it was
captured by the Madeleine. The New York Yacht Club gladly accepted the challenge
and waived the six month waiting period that the Deed of Gift mandated. It had
been five years since the last challenge and the Club wanted to spark interest
in the Cup and get the challenge under way as soon as possible. The Canadian
group, headed by Major Gifford, offered the Countess of Dufferin as their
challenger. Built the previous winter, the Countess of Dufferin was inspired by
the well known and very successful American sloop Cora but was relatively
uninterested in competition. Madeleine, on the other hand, had a prestigious
reputation and had been thoroughly tested in competition at the hands of New
York Yacht Club Commodore Jacob Voorhis and John S. Dickerson, a Commodore of
the Brooklyn Yacht Club. The Countess of Dufferin was no match for its seasoned
opponent and fell in two lopsided races. The first, over the New York Yacht Club
course of 32 miles ended with the Madeleine finishing almost eleven minutes
ahead of the slower boat. A margin of greater than 27 minutes seperated the two
boats in the second and deciding race around the lighthouse at Sandy Hook.
Moran's oil obviously show the Madeleine striding ahead of its competitor, but
more importantly seems to depict the pomp and patriotism of the early America's
Cup races that are so much a part of the matches today. Moran's unsual
fascination and love for the nautical world are apparent, but unlike many of his
more typical works, this oil also strongly suggests the artists's pride in
America, embodied in the vehicle of the Madeleine.
NOTES AMERICA-SCOOP :