Framed Clipper Art

Framed clipper prints bring to the spotlight some of the ships that made a name for themselves sailing across the globe on major trade routes. They were essential in the tea trade and connecting the Western civilization to Indonesia and other countries in the Far East. They rose to prominence in the first half of the century but they started to play a far less important role following the opening of the Suez Canal.

The introduction of the faster and more reliable steamships marked the decline of clippers and the fact that they depended heavily on the wind caused them to lose the competition. For a brief period of time, steam clippers were manufactured, but as technology made giant leaps forward, the aging ships were abandoned altogether. They keep fascinating people with their design and elegant appearance, something made obvious by the great looking framed clipper prints. Cutty Sark is one of the ships that can still be admired in London, one of the few that were preserved intact and it is also celebrated in artwork.