New York Harbor, May 14th 1851 • oil on Belgian linen • 28 x 50 inches commissioned him to paint the 1977 America’s Cup winner, Courageous; more commissions soon followed. Nine offshore yacht deliveries between New England, Bermuda, and the Caribbean transformed Mecray into an accomplished sailor and gave the artist an intimate knowledge of the effects of wind, sea, and light on a variety of sailing vessel types. His ability to portray yachts with attention to detail and an understanding of sailing, along with an emphasis on historical accuracy, made his works appealing to collectors.
J-Boat Rainbow, Powering Ahead
The 23rd defense of the America’s Cup took place in Newport in 1977. It proved to be a Courageous summer, with both Gary Jobson and Ted Turner buying paintings and establishing long-term friendships. Mecray also published his first yachting print of the J-Class Sloop Rainbow, which was also featured in Yachting magazine and is considered by many to be John Mecray’s most iconic image depicting the pure thrill of big-boat racing. Marguerite Riordan, noted art and antique dealer of Stonington, Connecticut, served as Mecray’s long-time mentor and agent from 1981 to 2008, producing well-received major exhibitions of original paintings and drawings and retrospectives of several years’ work. In 1987 Mecray began creating limited-edition prints and giclées of his oil paintings, which were first published by the Mystic Seaport Museum. Forty-six limited editions and six open editions were published and met with overwhelming success. In 1988, the first major exhibition of his marine paintings was presented at Marguerite Riordan’s gallery and was an immediate success. The opening reception for his 1996 show included a celebration, when he married the love of his life, Mary Gillette, on the grounds of the Newport Art Museum, with Reverend Frank S. Murray, captain for 36 years of the schooner yacht Coronet, presiding. SEA HISTORY 164, AUTUMN 2018 23