The Mastheadman: The GERTRUDE L. THEBAUD Leads BLUENOSE (1938)

oil on panel 32” x 25 1/2 ”

$55,000

Competition between American and Canadian fishermen has always been fierce, from who caught the most, to who had the best crew. In 1927 the International Fishing Challenge Cup was established to determine who had the fastest schooner. In 1930, America’s Gloucester-based GERTRUDE L. THEBAUD challenged Canada’s fastest schooner, and previous Cup winner BLUENOSE, to a series of races and defeated her 2 to 0, to claim the Cup. But in return matches in 1931 and 1938, BLUENOSE bested THEBAUD, so the debate raged on. In this painting Hoyne shows the majesty of these working boats under sail – dramatically silhouetting the mastheadman on the spreader of the THEBAUD.