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A painting depicting Captain Scott's ship, the SS Terra Nova, leaving Cardiff Docks on its ill-fated Antarctic expedition on 15 June 1910, has been bought at auction by .

The painting, by Richard Short, an accomplished painter who settled in Cardiff after retiring from life as a Master Mariner, was bought for £13,000 at auction at Bonhams in London on Friday 30 March.

Terra Nova leaving Cardiff for the South Polar Regions, 15th June 1910, by Richard Short. Image courtesy of The Cardiff Story.

Scott's expedition is now renowned in world history, as he and his companions were not only beaten to the Pole by Norwegian Roald Amundsen, but also because it ended in the death of five of the expedition members, including Scott, from starvation and the extreme temperatures.

Cardiff was instrumental in the expedition proceeding. Scott named Cardiff as the Terra Nova's home port in recognition of the support the expedition had received from Wales, and Cardiff in particular. It can be argued that without this support, in both money and in kind, Scott would not have left in time to reach the Pole in 1912.

Funds were raised and sponsorship secured from businesses in the area resulting in donations from steam coal to cooking utensils, lamp oil to the provision of dock facilities. Cardiff had also raised more cash than any other city for Scott, and two leading Cardiff shipowners, Daniel Radcliffe and William J Tatem became two of the expedition's most fervent supporters.

The painting was commissioned by Alderman WH Renwick and WH Newtown to mark the city's pride in playing such a key role in the expedition, and the money required for commissioning it was raised from public subscription. Hanging in the library of the Coal Exchange building in the docks, when news reached Britain of Scott's death in February 1913, the Union Jack and black crepe were draped around it, echoing the profound sense of shock that was felt in the city. When the Terra Nova returned to Cardiff in that same year, 60,000 people welcomed it home.

The Cardiff Story's museum officer Victoria Rogers said: "We're delighted to have secured this stunning painting for the museum and the people of Cardiff. The tragedy of the expedition had a profound effect on the city, which had taken Scott and his companions to its heart, and this painting is the perfect piece to commemorate the expedition and to help tell the story to our visitors.

"Items like this don't come up at auction very often, so we're very thankful to Cardiff Council, UK Antarctic Heritage Trust and the V&A Purchase Fund for their support in securing the painting for generations of Cardiffians to come."

The Cardiff Story is based at the Old Library in the Hayes in Cardiff's city centre. The museum focuses on telling Cardiff's history through the eyes of those who made it - its people. It is open seven days a week and entry is free.