Chuck Ripper (American, B. 1929) "Florida Manatee" Signed lower right. Original Gouache/Watercolor painting on Masonite.
Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
This painting is the original painting which appeared on the Fleetwood First Day Cover of the 32c Florida Manatee stamp issued October 2, 1996.
Slow-moving and serene, the manatee is the graceful cow of the sea. Found in shallow coastal waters, estuaries and slow-flowing rivers, it spends its lazy days grazing on aquatic vegetation just beneath the water's surface. Massive, thick-skinned and nearly hairless, the manatee's slate-grey body sports paddlelike forelimbs and a spatulate tail -- a figure which, ironically, likely gave rise to the folklore of mermaids. Not particularly gregarious, the manatee usually lives singly or in small family groups, but can sometimes form herds of up to a score. With no natural predators, this ocean giant has retained a placid temperament and won't fight to defend itself or its calf. Unfortunately, since Spanish explorers first came to the Florida region in the 16th century, man has become the manatee's first true enemy. Although hunting this peaceful creature has been outlawed for over a century, the encroachment of mankind on the manatee's habitat still threatens its existence. Many fall victim to the unforgiving blades of outboard motors, while others often drown in the intake gates of water control structures. Still others are scared away from their warm-water havens by human intruders, fleeing into colder waters where a stay of only a few hours often proves lethal to these temperature-sensitive mammals. With only some 1,000 manatees left in the wild, mankind must take special care to preserve these gentle giants of the Caribbean.
Image Size: 14.5 x 12.5 in.
Overall Size: 17.75 x 14.75 in.
Unframed.
(B15501)
Condition
- By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.
- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via WIRE TRANSFER, no other forms of payment will be accepted.
- All items are sold as-is where-is and no guarantees are made of any kind. All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.
- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.
- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com
- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through multiple online platforms and shipping can become backlogged, if you would like a list of local shippers please email us directly.
- Our auction catalogs are hosted through multiple online platforms along with phone and in-house bidding. Bids placed on other platforms are not shown through this catalog. Because of this, even if it appears you are the only absentee bid or bidder on a lot, you may already be outbid or may have placed a bid equal to another bidder. Therefore, we always recommend bidding live.
- Unless otherwise stated in the description, all items are sold without additional documentation or COAs. If any supporting documentation is available an image will be available online via the catalog listing.