"Boreas Over Antarctica's Ulvetanna Peak in 1939"

by Michael Boss
Casein on Board
18" X 12"

Antarctica has had more than a passing interest for this artist. In the Twentieth Century many expeditions became underway. A few were Schackleton, Amundsen, Byrd and three by Germany. Germany's first 1901-1903 was the Gauss Expedition led by Erich von Drygalski. The second occurred in 1911-1913 under Wilhelm Fitchner. The third and perhaps the most notable, was commanded by Kapitan Alfred Ritscher in 1938-1939.

Built in 1925, this cargo vessel was converted c. 1934 into a ship capable of catapulting amphibious aircraft. The ship was christened with name MS Schwabenland after Swabia, a region in southwest Germany. Leaving Hamburg in late December 1938, the Schwabenland arrived 19 JA, 1939 at Princess Martha Coast at Norway's Queen Maud Land. Soon after, the expedition's two Dornier DO J II Wal amphibians began their huge task of taking photographs on 15 separate flights, some sources saying the Germans imaged 15,000 different Antarctic features.

The planes, Boreas (jealous god, proud and implacable) and Passat or Trade Wind, were the flying platforms employed for the aerial photographic portions of the expedition. In the painting title, Ulvetanna Peak, in the Drygalski Range, is used even though the name was not given until the 1956-1960 Sixth Norwegian Antarctic Expedition./p>

As for the history of the German Expedition, much can be found, possibly dubious or otherwise by doing a search for "German Antarctic Expedition in 1938-9"