Up for sale is an absolutely fantastic piece of antique 19th century American Folk Art oil painting depicting one of the large clipper ships of the famous American merchant William Francis Babcock. The painting portrays the large ship sailing across the ocean with waves and rocky cliffs in both side of the background. An American flag is hung behind the sails with two large white stars in each of the top corners and decorated with a red border around the entire work. Interestingly enough the artist decided to leave the sails of the ship un-painted cleverly keeping them plain canvas as of which they would have been crafted from. The painting appears to have been unframed for the majority of its life until maybe in the last 40 years a previous owner decided to stretch and frame the canvas. The condition of the painting shows a heavily wrinkled / uneven canvas with scuffs, craquelure, paint loss etc. The canvas measures 39 x 21 inches while the frame measures 40.5 x 22.5 inches. While the painting is signed by the artist in the lower right corner it is far from legible and has worn with time. Fortunately the work is titled "William F. Babcock" in large white text and just below in what appears to be pencil reads "William Francis Babcock of New York".

This painting is an absolutely phenomenal one off work of art of good subject matter about a stellar American businessman who had roots in this country as early as 1622! The images provided accurately represent the quality, condition and aesthetic beauty of this fantastic 19th century oil painting but if you have any questions please feel free to ask prior to purchasing!

Please find below Babcock's obituary published in the Daily Alta California Newspaper published on September 23, 1885. You can easily find it by searching his name.

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DEATH OF WILLIAM F. BABCOCK.

One of Man Franeluo'i Noted Merchant"

..done. The death of William P.' Babcock, of the firm of Parrott & Co., which occurred at 5 o'clock yesterday morning, was followed by a universal expression of sincere sorrow, especially' on the part of the merchants of this city, with whom he had been bo long and so honorably associated. la token of the high respect entertained for him, hundreds of fiegs were half-masted over the leading commercial bouses yesterday. The deceased was one of the oldest members of the Produce Exchange, and Present of the Chamber of Commerce. He was a descendant of early Puritan stock, his ancestors arriving in this country in 1622 from Holland, and Buttling in Rhode Island, where his greatgrandfather, Dr. Joshna Babcock, won considerable distinction. His grandfather, Adam Babcock, became a merchant in Boston, where hia father, Francis Babcock, was born. Mr. Babcock was also born in BoEton in 1820. He was educated in New York, was an employee of Davis, Brooks & Co. in 1836, and in 1845 went. to New Orleans as their agent, stayitg there until 1849, when he went into business *n his own account. He married in that city in 18* }, and two yean later he came to California as manager of the steamship line of Davis, Brooks & Co, . In 1854 he became the agent of the Pacific Mail Steamship Co., and in 1866 entered the commercial honse of Alsop & Co., which was succeeded in 1871 by Parrott & Co. For a long time he was President of the Spring Valley Water Company. At the time of his .death ' he .was a consulting Director of the London and Ban Francisco Bank, Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the London, and Globe Insurance Company, Director of the Security Savings Bank and senior Warden of Trinity Church. He leaves two sons and two daughters. The Chamber of Commerce will meet at 2 o'clock to-day to pass resolutions of respect to his memory. A correspondent pays a just tribute to his charactei in the following communication: Eiaion of the Alta : In the death ot this good man San Francisco has lost one of its noblest citizens. Others will doubtless write of his manifold business qualities ; and I will not allude to them, but rather call attention to the use he made of his wealth. The' great danger of the age Is the threatened bloody conflict of capital and labor. • No blood will ever be shed if the possessors of wealth will but use their means as generously and wisely as the subject of this sketch. He was never happier than when giving to the poor, and i&ny a needy clergyman has been made richer on Christmas Day through his unobtrusive kindness. He expressed the wish on more than one occasion to the writer to be informed if there were any deserving poor^and when so informed he never failed to proffer a helping hand. He gave for the love of doing good, not lor the sate of notoriety, and many a worthy charity of the city will miss his generous purse. We would not complain of the ways of Providence, but it seems strange, however, that where there are go many living useless, vicious, dishonorable lives, they remain, while the good, the generous, the charitable eeemed called away before their time. Let us hope that the death of this worthy representative of California capitalists may bring forth good results in causing other rich men to make an effort to follow Mr. Babcock's example in usiDg their wealth for the benefit of their^fellow-men and the glory of Ood. Would that my pen could pay a suitable tribute to his noble character, his generous acts, his upright, honorable life. No Californian has left a purer record ; few can ever equal him as a friend of the nnfortuoate ; and many a poor man, like the writer, will mourn his loss, and feel that another friend has gone to the belter land, where the rich and the poor are equal, and the good receive their just reward. W. M. C