Gouache painting of a yacht had multiple cracks, acid burns, an insect infestation, and had been attached to a particleboard. The work was cleaned, deacidified, and mounted onto a new archival board.
Around the 19th and 20th century, there are two prominent Italian ship portraitists, and they happen to be a father and son. We believe this work was done by the son, Antonio De Simone (1851-1907). Stationed in Naples, Italy, yacht owners would commission them to make portraits of their vessel. Many included Mt Vesuvius in the background. Antonio’s works are known for portraying the sea and sky with a brilliant cerulean blue, and his signature, compared to his fathers, is more fluid, such as the one on this work. Paitings by the De Simone family are well-known throughout the seafaring community.