This website is all about Originals of the maritime scene (mostly warships) of the era 1905 to the present day: dreadnought battleships, battle squadrons, destroyers, battle cruisers, royal yachts, fleet reviews, submarines, cruisers... and of the many other theatres in which the Royal Navy was still involved in hostilities or armed tension after 11th November 1918, the Baltic, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea to name three.
If its PRINTS of these that you seek then please visit our sister website www.maritimeprints.com.
You are unlikely to have seen these pictures before as, with few exceptions, they have all been amassed from private collections though some have been found at auction. Most of the artists represented here are very well known and respected in marine artists' circles. They are artists who knew their stuff and their subject, and their pictures are to be found in the Royal Collection and other private collections, the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, the Imperial War Museum in London and other national and international galleries; aboard the Royal Yacht BRITANNIA, in the Royal Navy's collection aboard HM Ships and Submarines, the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth and in other galleries and places of distinction such as the boardrooms and libraries of some of the great establishments in Great Britain and overseas. Works by these top flight marine artists have an avid international following, sell well privately and seldom fail to fetch their estimate, and more, should they appear at auction. They are offered for sale here at prices that are extremely favourable when compared with, for example, London picture galleries: our overheads are considerably less than theirs!
The collection is added to on a regular basis and the list of artists will remain broadly as at present and essentially represents a swathe of some one hundred years ( 1905 to 2005), during the earlier years of which the Royal Navy and British Merchant Fleet were at their most spectacular, most far flung, most impressive; the big racing yachts such as the Big Class and J Class ruled the grand sailing regattas, and international maritime reviews and events were at their zenith of lavish flamboyance. Falling neatly into the start of this timeframe is the introduction into Royal Naval service of the world's first dreadnought battleship, HMS DREADNOUGHT, and so it is that many of the originals offered here are of these great and imposing leviathans together with pictures of the flotillas and squadrons that inevitably accompanied these capital ships wherever they went in fair times and in foul.
Naval Reviews at Spithead and World War 1 and 2 sea battles feature prominently as does one very large collection of the watercolours of Commander Eric Tufnell who, said his widow, was very keen to record notable WW2 events in which ships of the Royal Navy so often played a prominent part. When they can be obtained, pictures offered here will progressively include a broadening range of international maritime scenes and events, but only top grade artists - who not only painted superbly but knew their subject to perfection - will continue to be chosen as there is nothing worse than a ship with a funnel that's marginally too tall, a double clewed jib that isn't shaped properly, a stem that is too raked, a bow wave that isn't breaking convincingly!
To include some paintings that have not been executed by the recognized great and good but which are still considered to have merit, there is a Miscellaneous Section. Maybe one day some of these artists will deserve promotion.
Unlike many other dealers - who sell by the web's automated shopping trolley - I do not as I prefer to offer a personal service where both you and I can discuss over the telephone or by email the condition of the picture, how its mounted and framed, the price - all that is of importance to you. The prices of my originals are all up for negotiation though there is less room for manoeuvre with some than with others! Please let Maritime Originals know (Contact/Order) as soon as you are interested in any of these pictures so that further details and a condition report can be passed to you, a price can be agreed and the picture taken off the market. You are asked to pay either by online bank transfer, debit card, PayPal or by cheque when settling (credit cards are not encouraged because of the high "service" charges levied by the card providers) . For those clients who are subject to VAT, prices quoted will usually include VAT, although delivery of the picture may have to attract a charge, depending on the delivery location.
I specialise in finding particular paintings or artists for clients. Some I may already have (there are generally some 25-50 originals in stock), others very occasionally can be bought from private owners, some may be appearing at auction around the country or indeed, the world. Please therefore contact me if you are hunting for a particular ship or battle, artist or event: tracking it down is a challenge that is always enjoyed and is often successful given sufficient time. And even if the original is not for sale it may be possible to negotiate with the owner for a fine art reproduction to be made although I have to work very carefully within the copyright rules which have been amended recently to harmonise UK copyright with the EU.
The website has become the favoured way to view such collections although for those who find accessing it difficult or who prefer not to touch the web or emails, with a barge pole, paper copies of particular images can always be sent for viewing! Or a viewing near Sherborne, Dorset may suit you better: please telephone 01935 389927. More contact details are to be found at Contact/Order.
I have many clients who either don't wish to invest in originals or are unable to buy the original of their choice as its already sold: for them a fine art reproduction is often therefore the answer and I run a sister website, Maritime Prints (www.maritimeprints.com) where there are some 200 or so images of similar pictures that I am able to reproduce for you. The quality of these – reproduced on hand varnished canvas or heavy paper as appropriate - is impeccable and they are generally indistinguishable from the original. Most can be tailor made to the dimensions of your choice and all carry a limited edition stamp which is concealed beneath the mount (or in US parlance, the matt) so as not to make it obvious that they are actually reproductions. So if the original of your choice is not available you may well get complete satisfaction from a visit to www.maritimeprints.com where a very large collection awaits you!
Its not just maritime subjects that I can reproduce so convincingly and accurately: the capability is also there to work on any paintings – watercolour or oil, pencil or pastel and to alter their size to suit hanging space available. So if you have a family portrait or other painting from which you wish to make copies do please contact me: I have given many families the chance to allow children to have a copy each of a favourite picture – grandfather, lucky racehorse, a first sailing dinghy or smelly old family dog! Great care is taken at every stage of the reproduction process to ensure that the copy looks indistinguishable from the original: mounting them in top of the range mounts and appropriate frames further helps that illusion. Copyright permission often needs to be negotiated but its seldom a problem.
If you are considering selling a painting then do please give me consideration. I have never knowingly offered less than the painting is worth (like other dealers I have constant access to world auction hammer prices) and unlike selling at auction where you pay a Seller's Premium which is subtracted from the hammer price obtained at the auction, I do not need to charge you this additional premium. I also pay smartly and by your preferred method, in contrast to auction houses which are famously slow at sending you your cheque!
Richard Cosby
Director, Maritime, Prints
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01460 63776
You are asked to pay by online bank transfer, Debit Card, PayPal or UK cheque.