The Frank off George's Island, Halifax

During the period when shipbuilding was flourishing in the Atlantic Provinces, portraits of ships were very popular, and O'Brien was a specialist in the genre. This canvas is one of his most accomplished works. He portrayed the vessel in profile, all sails set, silhouetted against George Island (off Halifax), and a vast, grey-blue summer sky scattered with white clouds. The artist included several figures in his composition and, with a touch of humour, signed the work on a piece of flotsam.