(British, b. 1924) The study of ships' rigs is in itself a time-consuming and patient task. For instance, Roy Cross was an artist who specializes in 19th century-type pictures has traveled as far south as Barcelona and as far north as Gothenburg to observe and record the enormous and fascinating variety of rigs. To undertake one or two painting commissions, he may also have to travel extensively in the USA to get details of a particular ship from the maritime museums and to visit historic ports to observe the lighting, the sea and the sky conditions which were much the same as when the ship was in those harbors. In addition, this artist has built up his own considerable library of books, photographs, plans and cuttings. If he paints a specific 19th century ship in harbor, all the other shipping must be accurately contemporary to it; if the scene is set in 1850 it is no use having an 1880 steel ship near an 1850 wooden schooner.    MORE »

ROY CROSS (British, b. 1924) PACKET WASHINGTON IRVING DEPARTING BOSTON, 1840'S Signed and dated 1982, lower left Watercolor & gouache on paper 20 x 29 in. ( 50.80 x 73.66 cm )