Friday 18 August 2023

Charles Pears - Part 2

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


c1917-18 The Great War: Britain’s Efforts and Ideals series:

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

Wednesday 16 August 2023

Charles Pears - Part 1

Self Portrait 1944-46
oil on canvas 61.5 x 51 cm
Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, Bournemouth, UK

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 1 of a 6-part series on the works of Charles Pears:

1904 A sailing boat on open water
oil on board 40 x 50 cm

1904 from Seven Scenes from a Fairytale
watercolour on paper 24 x 16 cm


1904 from Seven Scenes from a Fairytale
watercolour on paper 24 x 16 cm


1904 The Reluctant Beggar
oil on canvas-board 27 x 25 cm

c1910 Yacht Regatta at Southend-on-Sea, Essex
oil on canvas 75.5 x 50 cm
Hull Maritime Museum, Kingston upon Hull

1913 Eastcote by District Railway
Underground Electric Railways Company Ltd, 1913
colour lithograph poster 101.3 x 62.6 cm

c1913 Cunard Line To New York
colour lithograph poster 101 x 64.6 cm
V&A Museum, London


1914 An alphabet of T.O.T (Train Omnibus Tram)
This little ABC series was first published in 1915 as a fund-raising gimmick to support transport workers and their families during WW1.

1914 An Alphabet of T.O.T.
colour lithograph poster
V&A Museum, London

1914 An Alphabet of T.O.T. original artwork
watercolour 13.3 x 22 cm
V&A Museum, London

A. Original artwork
V&A Museum, London

A's for Advertisement, also for Art.
And the Aim of this Alphabet right from the start.

B. Original artwork
watercolour 13.3 x 22 cm
V&A Museum, London.

B is the useful ubiquitous Bus,
A good way to travel for you and for us.

C. Original artwork
watercolour 13.3 x 22 cm
V&A Museum, London

C is the Current which whirls you along,
You must not touch the rail or you'll find it too strong.

D. Original artwork
watercolour
V&A Museum London

D is the Driver whose care and and whose skill
Lets us travel around and yet come to no ill.

E. Original artwork
watercolour
V&A Museum London

E is for Energy of the kind called electric,
And this is the house where the engineer makes it.

F. Original artwork
watercolour
V&A Museum London

F is the Fare and while prices get steeper,It's the one thing in life which grows cheaper and cheaper.

G. Original artwork
watercolour
V&A Museum London

G for the Gateman who opens the gate,
He'll do anything else but he won't let you wait.

(Original artwork not found)
H is for Holidays by Train, Tram of Bus,
By these, you can travel without any fuss.

I. Original artwork
watercolour
V&A Museum London

I is Inspector and Interest too,
If you won't pay your fare they are waiting for you.

J. Original artwork
watercolour 13.3 x 22 cm
V&A Museum London

J is for Junction where many lines meet,
So that changing's more easy than crossing the street.

K. Original artwork
watercolour
V&A Museum London

K is Kilowatts - units of power,
Our turbines produce 'em by thousands an hour.

K. (version 2) Original artwork
watercolour
V&A Museum London

This Is K Again.
If an elephant were to climb to the top of St. Paul's
it would use up one unit and then if it fell off the
thump at the bottom would make another. That
gives you some idea of the size of them.




L for the Lifts which go up and down,
To be found at our stations in all parts of Town.

M. Original artwork
watercolour
V&A Museum London

M is the Map which will make every way
Of the mighty Metropolis plain as the day.


N. Original artwork
watercolour
V&A Museum London

N for the Non-Stops, the quickest of trains,
That puzzles the poor Superintendent's brains.

O. Original artwork
watercolour 13.3 x 22 cm
V&A Museum London

O the Ozone which improves ventilation,
And also the Otter at Mansion House Station.

P. Original artwork
watercolour 13.3 x 22 cm
V&A Museum London

Q. Original artwork
watercolour 13.3 x 22 cm
V&A Museum London

Q is the questions the Public will ask,
To give the right answer's the railwayman's task.

R. Original artwork
watercolour 13.3 x 22 cm
V&A Museum London

R for the Rails that our trains smoothly travel on,
In every direction through this great Modern Babylon.

Note: 1914 An alphabet of T.O.T continues in part 2.