The moment when the USS Cumberland was attacked and sunk by the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia is well documented in journals, letters, and published accounts. They note the time of day, the weather, and detailed descriptions of the chaos and destruction. Marine archaeologists have even found a few remnants of the Cumberland on the seafloor in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
My job as an illustrator for National Geographic was to choose the moment and the angle, so I did a series of postcard size oil paintings to show the naval historians John Quarstein and Colan Ratliff. The crucial moment, it seemed to me, was when both ships were firing on each other at close quarters.
But before I went into full production on the comprehensive sketch and the final painting, art director Christopher Klein suggested that I produce one more sketch showing a much closer view of the action.The pivot gun crew suffered great losses and yet bravely fought on, with Morris calling out through his speaking trumpet that he refused to surrender or "strike the colors."
Like all compositional decisions, this one would have been a tradeoff. Getting this close to the action brings the viewer closer to experiencing the psychology and the horror of battle. In actual fact the scene would have been even more grisly and bloody than what I've suggested. If this scene was all that the viewer saw, it wouldn’t be clear what was going on at the water level, where other human stories were unfolding.
We agreed to pull back the viewpoint back just far enough to see the lifeboat action, but a little closer than we had shown in those first sketches.
I'll be bringing the final painting and preliminary studies to the Mariner Gallery in Newport, Rhode Island on Sunday, August 13 at 5:00-8:30pm. Between now and then, I'll also do a couple plein-air paintings that will be part of a group plein-air event. Come on by and say hello!
ABSOLUTELY brilliant and amazing! Curious if you made ship models for your reference. So many different angles/viewpoints in those sketches. The illustrator/ marine artist Thomas Hoyne (1924-1989) had museum quality ship models built that he would then arrange in kitty litter with the kitty litter scooped into waves formations as his reference. I much needed step needed for accuracy in his paintings.
ReplyDeleteTotally splendid and astounding! Inquisitive assuming that you made transport models for your reference. Such countless various points/perspectives in those portrayals. The artist/marine craftsman Thomas Hoyne (1924-1989) had gallery quality boat models fabricated that he would then organize in kitty litter with the kitty litter scooped into waves arrangements as his reference. I much required step required for exactness in his artworks.
ReplyDeleteTotally splendid and astounding! Inquisitive assuming that you made transport models for your reference. Such countless various points/perspectives in those portrayals. The artist/marine craftsman Thomas Hoyne (1924-1989) had gallery quality boat models fabricated that he would then organize in kitty litter with the kitty litter scooped into waves arrangements as his reference. I much required step required for exactness in his artworks..
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