Charles Pears (1873-1958) was a marine painter and lithographer, born at Pontefract, Yorkshire. Pears worked initially as a black-and-white artist for magazines from the late 1890s, serving as a theatrical caricaturist for Pick-Me-Up. During World War I he was an Official War Artist for the Admiralty, a position he repeated during World War II, and he gradually established a reputation as a sound marine painter with a strong sense of design. He was founder and first president of the RSMA and his work found its way into the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, and the Imperial War Museum. However, as a versatile draughtsman he also did many posters and illustrated Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, 1922, and the works of Charles Dickens. He wrote a number of books, such as From the Thames to the Seine, 1910, and South Coast Cruising from the Thames to Penzance, 1931.He exhibited widely, including the RA, ROI and Fine Art Society. He lived in St. Mawes, Cornwall.
This is part 2 of a 6-part series on the works of Charles Pears:
1914 An alphabet of T.O.T (Train Omnibus Tram) continued from part 1:
S. Original artwork watercolour V&A Museum London |
S is for Security, Safety and Speed, Which the Underground stands for in thought, word and deed. |
T. Original artwork watercolour V&A Museum London |
T is for Tunnel, the Train, and the Ticket, Wh you buy like a stamp, though you son't have to lick it, |
U. Original artwork watercolour V&A Museum London |
U is the Underground, pride of the nation, The triumph of science and civilisation. |
V. Original artwork watercolour V&A Museum London |
V is for Volts, Ventilation, Velocity, To ask what they all mean is merely curiosity. |
W. Original artwork watercolour V&A Museum London |
Once Underground the Weather won't trouble you, And like "Workmen's Cheap Tickets" it starts with a W. |
X. Original artwork watercolour V&A Museum London |
X is for experience, guide of the wise, Shown in Traffic Returns which increase in their size. |
Y. Original artwork watercolour V&A Museum London |
Y is for You my intelligent friend, Who want the best value for all that you spend. |
1914 Thorpe Bay, Southend-on-sea, Westcliff-on-Sea, Benfleet District Railways colour lithograph poster 101.6 x 63.5 cm |
T.O,T. (Train Omnibus Tram) Up River colour lithograph poster |
1914-18 An officer of a motor launch about to board a Norwegian Steamer oil on panel 21.5 x 25.4 cm Imperial War Museum, London |
1914-18 The Lights of Rosyth from the Forth Bridge Footpath: Port Edgar and the Fleet oil on canvas 71.1 x 91.4 cm Imperial War Museum, London |
1915 Southend by District Railway Through Trains Underground Electric Railway Company colour lithograph poster 101.6 x 127 cm |
1917 'Dazzled': A camouflaged battleship: "HMS Ramillies" in a gale of wind oil on canvas 106.6 x 177.8 cm Imperial War Museum, London © IWM Art.IWM ART 1367 |
1917 HMS Dunraven, VC, in action against the submarine that sank her, 8th August 1917 oil on canvas 59 x 88.9 cm Imperial War Museum, London © IWM Art.IWM ART 5130 |
1917 or before: Storm Blown (a Stormy Seascape, off the West Pier, Brighton) oil on board 53 x 83.8 cm |
1917 Women putting anti-fouling paint on the bottom of an ML Leith oil on canvas 66.6 x 107.9 cm Imperial War Museum, London © IWM Art.IWM ART 1364 |
Maintaining food supplies: The arrival of the grain ship lithograph on paper 35.5 x 47 cm National Museum Wales, National Museum Cardiff |
Maintaining export trade: The ship is being shelled by a U-boat lithograph on paper 35 x 45.7 cm Collection & image © Hugh Lane Gallery © The Estate of Charles Pears |
Supplying the Navy: Supplying the Navy lithograph on paper 35 x 45.8 cm Collection & image © Hugh Lane Gallery © The Estate of Charles Pears |
Transporting troops: Convoy of transports with attendant destroyers lithograph on paper 35 x 45.8 cm Collection & image © Hugh Lane Gallery © The Estate of Charles Pears |
Maintaining forces overseas: Transport loading at night lithograph on paper 35 x 45.8 cm Collection & image © Hugh Lane Gallery © The Estate of Charles Pears |
The Place of Safety lithograph on paper 35 x 45.8 cm Collection & image © Hugh Lane Gallery © The Estate of Charles Pears --------------------------------------------------- |
1918 'Strafed' by a German Seaplane off Terschelling oil on canvas 85 x 111.7 cm Imperial War Museum, London © IWM Art.IWM ART 1361 |
1918 A Big Crane at Rosyth placing a gun on a Light Cruiser: Night oil on canvas 58.4 x 129.5 cm Imperial War Museum, London © IWM Art.IWM ART 1347 |
1918 A Boarding Party of RNR men going aboard a prize under searchlight oil on canvas 101.9 x 107.9 cm Imperial War Museum, London © IWM Art.IWM ART 1353 |
1918 A Convoy oil on canvas 76.2 x 129.5 cm Imperial War Museum, London © IWM Art.IWM ART 632 |
1918 A corner of the dockyard, Rosyth: Winter oil on canvas 71.1 x 91.4 cm Imperial War Museum, London © IWM Art.IWM ART 1354 |
1918 A dazzled Merchantman oil on canvas 40.6 x 60.9 cm Imperial War Museum, London © IWM Art.IWM ART 2878 |
1918 A drifting mine oil on panel 35.5 x 45.7 cm Imperial War Museum, London © IWM Art.IWM ART 1350 |
1918 A Hospital Ship: Night oil on panel 19 x 34.9 cm Imperial War Museum, London © IWM Art.IWM ART 645 |
1918 A Merchant Ship dropping a Smoke Box chalk on paper 37.4 x 53.9 cm Imperial War Museum, London © IWM Art.IWM ART 636 |
1918 A Motor Launch recovering a torpedo: HMS 'Yarmouth' at practice, January 1918 oil on canvas 35.5 x 59.6 cm Imperial War Museum, London © Art.IWM ART 1366 |
1918 A thunderstorm: Harwich: Submarines leaving port oil on canvas 58.4 x 129.5 cm Imperial War Museum, London © IWM Art.IWM ART 1371 |