There have been some significant developments in this marine painting  including Gordon Frickers is able to be the first, here to show  some results of collaboration, new research into the quality of the bright yellow preferred by Nelson on his ships, more on that below…

This new marine painting is beginning to come to life with the basic structure now complete.

The ships are anchoured and moored much as they would have been following research into the original charts of the time by the artist with special thanks to the staff of H.M. Hydrographic Office Taunton for their very generous welcome and full co operation.

Still to be added, many more people, the port of Gibraltar we can safely guess,  was a busy place in Nelson’s day?

The sea still needs much work, the artist’s intention being to show a calm sea with a S W swell entering the bay, the wind having backed to a light N.E. breeze.

The harbour is yet to be populated with numerous busy small craft some under sail others under oar including some of distinctively Mediterranean types.

Plus if you used the pop up facility clicking on the picture above, I doubt if the facts escaped your notice re the lack of rigging on the ships show?

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Following research by Peter Goodwin, Keeper and Curator of HMS Victory and author of much merit, a “recipe” was found recently in a letter from Horatio Nelson for the mix of Nelson’s bright yellow.

We may be seeing the correct colour for the first time since living memory; which means the ship Victory may have her stripes repainted.

You may be aware, following the dry docking of the then rather rotten HMS Victory and her first 20th century major overhaul in 1921/2 (partly paid for by the excellent Society of Nautical Research) HMS Victory had her white “Victorian Navy” stripes painted bright yellow because the people of the time referred to her bright yellow warlike stripes.

Fine except bright yellow in 1922 was a chrome yellow not available until about 1820 by which time you may have already deduced, Horatio Nelson had had his last day…

During the 1990’s and following a long discussion between this artist and Peter Goodwin on the origins and nature of paint, not as anorak ish as it first sounds because this was to influence a sight seen by a million plus visitors to HM Historic Dockyard Portsmouth per year,  Peter was eventually able to convince the authorities and experts that  they used the wrong yellow.

Peter is a very remarkable man who has to deal with ministries, government departments, old guard, know alls, jobworths etc.

How he does that is a story in its self!

Happily he does have some first rate colleagues who given sufficient evidence will support his some times “radical” discoveries and requests.

HMS Victory may be in for another repaint soon, can you guess why?

I’d had a problem with this yellow business for a long time.

I’d noticed a remark of Nelson’s which requested his captains immediately before Trafalgar to paint the bands on their masts black to distinguish their ships (in the smoke and confusion of battle ) from the French who guess what, had white masts…

Now why would Nelson write that if the mast of the British fleet were yellow?

I have not yet spoken again with Peter about this side issue given his latest discover re the yellow used but I have a theory for Peter…

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The change of subject for the original sketch was suggested by Chris Boddington after he saw a Gordon Frickers original sketch in 2009.

The original sketch that inspired this marine painting was drawn one evening in 1998 in the lounge of the Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club where incidentally there are two fine original examples of Gordon Frickers marine art in that lounge commissioned by and owned by the club.

The original sketch was exploring ideas for a scene during the voyage of the French explorer, navigator and discoverer, Laperouse.

In particular his visit to Botany Bay, Australia, a subject I am soon to return to having recently completed much extensive research and become a member last year of L’Association Laperouse, which is based on Laperouse home town of Albi in S W France…

There is a selection of books we can highly recommend because

A. they feature Gordon Frickers marine painting and

B. they are excellent book (not that we are biased, much), see page

http://www.frickers.co.uk/marine-art/trafalgar.html

The books can be ordered via that page from Amazon.

The original of Trafalgar Dawn was sold about 15 years ago to a private collection however the owner has indicated he is now open to offers.

Offers can be made via Mr. 10% on this web site!

More affordable, Trafalgar Dawn is available as a superb quality numbered, signed, Prestige edition on printed canvas, from page
http://www.frickers.co.uk/prints.html
where it can be ordered 100%  securely using Paypal or by a direct bank to bank transfer.

The new Trafalgar Dawn is in an advanced stage of research and pre sketching following visits to research at Portsmouth and in Paris last December (as mentioned in this blog, early December).
As for

Nelson at Gibraltar, you can follow the development of this painting on this blog.

The painting has evolved from a drawing Gordon Frickers  made one evening in 1998 while in the member’s lounge of the Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club.

Gordon was a very active member of the Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club for many years and the club has 2 magnificent marine paintings of his in it’s collection.

One features the Royal Yacht Britannia HRH Queen Elizabeth disembarking, to visit Plymouth, the other shows a typical Spring Series race of the period and is very rich in details.

That original sketch was intended as an idea for a painting of the French navigator and discoverer Laperouse entering Botany Bay.

The Laperouse painting is an other currently under development after a long interval.

Gordon was researching for the Laperouse painting and Nelson at Gibraltar last November at H.M. Hydrographic Office, Taunton,  and another reason he was in Paris and at the Muse de Laperouse, Albi (Laperouse home town).

A friend of his, Chris Boddington former very successful lawyer and a skilled painter in his own right, saw the sketch last summer and suggested it would work well as a painting of Nelson transferring from HMS Captain to HMS Minerve at Gibraltar so guess what?

Since the attached pic was taken, the composition and colouring have advanced significantly.

There will be a new blog entry on this painting of Nelson and Gibraltar  in the next few days.

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Also currently for re sale, given an offer they can’t refuse,  by clients of Gordon Frickers are the following Marine Paintings, several quite famous,  (by the way we should mention, prices often with paintings are the reverse of most cars so re sale prices are likely to be considerably more than the vendors paid or the current price of new paintings direct from the artist):

“H.M. Schooner “Pickle”, carrying the news of the Battle of Trafalgar”

“Nelson’s Column”

“Trafalgar Dawn”

“First Shots, Trafalgar”

“Nelson’s Pickle, first with the news”

“Ferriera” ex “Cutty Sark”, “Last Departure” (mentioned on this blog, 27.01.10)

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Another  email was an invitation to go on a Dutch gallery web site ( for a fee).
The site seems to feature mostly Russian artists, some quite good.
It has no marine artist.
It did have an interesting link to a gallery in California, that set Gordon thinking…
He does not  have a list of galleries which might be worth approaching, should he have one?
Can you recommend any galleries?

You may be aware of Laperouse? 

Laperouse, navigator and discoverer was literally the French answer to Captain James  Cook and the HMS Endeavour.

The second photo shows principally Henry Féral, Préfet honoraire, Maire de Puycelsi giving his obligatory speech which included a round up of the years activities and future dates.

Maybe you are aware, Comte, Captain, Laperouse, navigator and discoverer, or more formally,  Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse (1741-88), with 2 ships, La Boussole and L’Astrolabe was one of the early European pioneers to enter the Pacific ocean on a voyage of science and discovery?

All Europe had been stunned by the achievements of James Cook.

The French in particular with their enthusiasm for science and discovery greatly admired James Cook.

So much so that the French king expressly forbade any French ship from interfering with the voyages of James Cook (other English ships remaining fair game!).

In turn, Cook’s men voluntarily and sportingly agreed not to attack French ships.

The Spanish and Americans followed suite, ensuring James Cook’s safe passage from their ships.

The King of France took a personal interest in the voyage of Laperouse.

Many of the documents relating to the voyage have the King’s hand writing in the margins.

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Today interest in Laperouse is growing, worldwide.

Laperouse was born in Albi, at that time a city of some 9,000 inhabitants.

Albi is in central SW France (near my studio at Itzac) so fittingly this city has a very small museum in his honour.

The museum is curiously, just about the same size as the inside of one of his ships.

It is of course completely over shadowed by Albi’s other museum which is world class and  dedicated to the great artist Toulouse Lautrec.

However, interest in Laperouse is growing world wide including an exhibition currently on tour and recently in Paris and St Malo.

There are now museums commemorating the voyage of Laperouse on the West coast of the USA, East coast of Russia and notably in Australia at

La Perouse Museum, Botany Bay National Park Anzac Parade

The British received La Pérouse courteously, sent a pilot boat and offered him any assistance he might need.

La Pérouse sent many of his journals and letters to Europe with a British ship, others having been sent previously via Russia (Vladivostok).

Just as well as the voyage of Laperouse was doomed.

The voyage of Laperouse touched many shores.

Tragically one to many, the ships were wrecked.

Far better is to visit the museum at Albi or the very informative web site  http://www.laperouse-france.fr/

One of the many things I have come to like about this charming museum and L’association Laperouse is how active they are.

New exhibits and new discoveries appear on every visit I have made.

In the coming year, L’association Laperouse is particularly interested to forge links with other museums in Europe dedicated to the great explorers.

This with a view to presenting joint proposals to the European Parliament for funding ongoing projects and exhibitions.

Maybe you have contacts who could further this aim?

If so kindly email me ASAP, thanks.

~

As usual the version in Wikipedia is not correct.

You would do better to read the account a copy of the first published account of the settlement of Australia.

Today I drove to Taunton and had an incredible day at the Admiralty Hydrographic Office research department.

I was looking for period drawings of Botany Bay (Laperouse) and Gibraltar (Nelson)  for 2 marine paintings I am planning and thanks to Guy Hannaford, what a day I had! 

The Hydrographic Office traces it’s beging to the late 18th century as a department and it’s origins I was told, to the Dutch raid on the Thames and Medway during which the Dutch navy successfully navigated difficult rivers and destroyed or carried off an embarrassing amount of British naval property. Later during the recriminations a very angry King Charles asked  how was it possible and the answer – charts.

Did the English have charts was said to be King Charles next question and no was the answer.

Buy Dutch charts was the Royal command!

Incidentally, King Charles II introduced the Dutch marine artist  William van der Velde to London as his official marine artist.

I found with Guy’s help most of what I needed including some amazing 19th century and even earlier, one dated 1770, drawings and charts.

I found myself allowed to handle original documents.

I was shown “The Coffin”, a treasure, a custom made oak case in which were stored original marine art by Serres who was official marine artist to King George III, (this post has now lapsed in modern Philistine Britain). Water colours of amazing 1 metre plus long panoramas of the French and Spanish coasts made about 1800 while aboard and to help British men of war blockading Napoleon’s Europe. 

Can you imagine a commission like that?

I was introduced to senior staff as “the famous marine artist Gordon Frickers”.

I’m not quite sure how to handle that, suggestions?

I was shown conservation techniques and a huge map dating back to the 1770’s, of the North American coast but more of that another time because it is still some thing of a secret…

That was only part of the day, what else did I see?