896 - Hans Vetter, "Dampfer Parade", tug and cargo ship in Hamburg harbour with the Michel, 20th century

Hans Vetter, "Dampfer Parade", tug and cargo ship in Hamburg harbour with the Michel, 20th century Oil on canvas, signed "Hans Vetter" and inscribed with the place name "Hamburg" lower left, 20th century, view across the Elbe to the port of Hamburg, in the foreground a harbour tug seen from astern with tall funnel, trail of smoke and spray at the hull, on the left a group of mooring dolphins with a red signal, behind it the shore with trees, houses and the tower of the Michel, on the right a cargo ship with two masts, white superstructure and funnel, at the right edge a green and white ship, in the background further ships and towers under a yellowish hazy sky, good condition commensurate with age, image 50x70 cm (HxW), framed, frame width 5 cm The main church of St. Michaelis, the Michel, with a tower height of 132 m, is the landmark of the Hanseatic city of Hamburg and serves ships on the Elbe as a navigational mark. The present church was built after the fire of 1906 until 1912 under Julius Faulwasser in the forms of the Baroque predecessor building; its tower is clad in copper. Harbour tugs, also called assist or berthing tugs, are small, highly manoeuvrable vessels that manoeuvre seagoing ships in the port to their berths; until the post-war period they were powered by steam engines, before diesel engines replaced them. The painter Hans Vetter, active in Hamburg, painted further views of the port of Hamburg with tugs in the 20th century.