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A depiction of the 'Great Eastern' under construction, sitting on the stocks at Millwall, on the north bank of the Thames. The partially completed ship is on the left of the picture, parallel to the river into which she was launched sideways, an innovation for a major vessel. She was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and built during 1857 by the engineer and iron-ship designer John Scott Russell. The construction of the ship demonstrated the industrial potential that would soon revolutionize transport. Built for a passenger mail service linking Britain, India, China and Australia, she was intended to accommodate 4,500 passengers and 6,000 tons of cargo, or to convey up to 10,000 troops to a theatre of war. The 'Illustrated London News' described her as 'a grand tribute to commerce' and she was built in sections and encased in metal plates an inch thick.
On 3 November 1857, Miss Hope, the daughter of the director of the Great Eastern Steam Navigation Company, had named her 'Leviathan' – much to everyone's surprise since she was commonly known as the 'Great Eastern'. However, in July 1858, before her fitting-out was complete, it was announced that her name was to be changed back to that. The ship was beset with difficulties before and after her launch. The time taken to construct her ruined her builders financially and she proved a liability to her owners. This painting probably forms a continuous narrative by incorporating events that took place at different times during her construction. Contemporary accounts for 1857 describe her as a 'mass of bronze-and-black and brick-tinted metal' and it is this quality that the artist has attempted to capture.
Title
Building the 'Great Leviathan' (the 'Great Eastern')
Date
1854
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 86.5 x W 183 cm
Accession number
BHC3384
Work type
Painting
National Maritime Museum
Romney Road, Greenwich, London, Greater London SE10 9NF England
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