| Date: | not dated, perhaps circa 1873 (see note) |
| Medium: | oil on canvas |
| Size: | 14 x 24 in (36 x 61 cm) |
| Inscription: | Signed l/r "F. Schäfer." and underlined in the characteristic block-printing hand of the artist. |
| Verso: | Titled l/c: "Sunset on Cape St. Lucas / Pacific Ocean." in the characteristic block-printing hand of the artist. The words "Cape St. Lucas" are darker, suggesting that the other words may have been an afterthought. The word "Ocean" is indistinct and may have been misread. |
| Provenance: | Said to have been acquired at a Portland, Oregon estate sale circa 2000; sold 21 January 2020 for $1,100 + 22% by O'Gallerie Inc., Portland, Oregon, as lot 467 in "New Year Premiere Furniture & Decorative Arts Auction"; to private collection, Lake Oswego, Oregon. |
| Reproductions: | O'Gallerie Inc. catalog. |
| Site: | Cape St. Lucas is the southermost point of Baja California. |
| Note: | This painting adds to the evidence that Schafer, his wife, and son may have traveled from New York City to San Francisco via coastal steamer by way of Panama in the spring of 1873. One of the advertised ports of call of the steamer Great Republic was Mazatlan and it may have also called at Cabo San Lucas. Departure from either port to the U.S. would require passing close to Cape St. Lucas. See also the discussion of the painting "Mazatlan", which is known only by title. |
| Identification: | Title from verso inscription. |
| In index(es): | Title list, coastal and marine scenes, miscellaneous other well-known landmarks, sunset scenes |
![[photo]](../smalls/p/img1818.jpg)