Lot 179: John Stewart (British, b. 1941)

The Italian liner Conte di Savoia arriving at Naples signed 'J Stewart' (lower right) pen, black ink, watercolour and bodycolour on paper 66 x 96 cm. NOTES The Conte di Savoia, half sisiter tp the slightly larger Rex was an elegant and distinguished product of Mussolini's colourful rise to power in the late 1920's. Italy's sizeable fleet of passenger liners went from strength to strength after the Great War had ended, carrying milions of passengers from the Italy to the 'New World' of North and South America. The Conte di Savoia, registered at 48,502 tons and with a top speed of over 29 knots cleared Genoa on her Maiden voyage to New York, late in 1932. After an unstable maiden voyage she had a highly successful 8 years on the North Atlantic run. The growing threat of hostilities soon after the outbreak of war put a premature end to her carrer; she was laid up at Malomoco near Venice early in 1940, where she remained tethered. She was finally sunk on September 11 s t 1943 by bombs and rockets from allied airforces whise governments were fearfull of her falling into German hands.