File:Antonio Jacobsen - The S.S. Fürst Bismarck prior to its launching - 1892.png

The Fürst Bismarck was built by AG Vulcan in Stettin, Germany, launched in 1890 and completed in 1891. She belonged to the Hamburg America Line and sailed between Hamburg and New York. There are no records of Jacobsen travelling to Germany at the time, so perhaps the painting was based on a contemporary photo. The Fürst Bismarck later had a varied career. She was bought by the Russian Navy in 1904 and became the auxiliary cruiser Don. From 1907 she served as a Russian passenger ship as the Moskva. In 1909 she was bought by the Austro-Hungarian Navy and became the torpedo depot ship Gaa. In November 1918 she was ceded to the Italian Navy and became the San Giusto, rated as a transport. In 1920 she was sold to the Cosulich Società Triestina di Navigazione, with the intention of using her on a route between Trieste, Napoli and New York. She only made one trip, starting in January 1921, because it was discovered that her hull could not withstand a heavy storm. So after her return to Italy, all further voyages were cancelled and she was broken up.