Curations

20th Century Spotlight: National Maritime Museum, London

David Saywell, Head of Digital Assets

National Maritime Museum

Amongst a collection of over 4,000 oil paintings the 20th Century collection of the National Maritime Museum significantly features ships in battle and other First and Second World War scenes, notably in a number of artworks by Charles Pears, Norman Wilkinson and John Everett, represented in over 1,000 artworks. However, other aspects of maritime and related matters outside of war feature in the collection holdings, including a St Ives painting by Alfred Wallis, Deptford Power Station by L.S. Lowry and a mid 1920s French harbour scene by Edward Wadsworth.

Artists featured in this Curation: Anthony Amies (1945–2000), W. Geoffrey Bannister, Stephen Bone (1904–1958), Arthur Royce Bradbury (1892–1977), Arthur James Wetherall Burgess (1879–1957), Brenda Bury, Herbert E. Butler (1861–1931), Henry Marvell Carr (1894–1970), Jesse Dale Cast (1900–1976), Anne Christopherson (1921–2013), and 44 more
54 artworks
Storyline Album Showcase

  • Anthony Amies (1945–2000)

    Seascape, Gorleston, Norfolk 1978
    Anthony Amies (1945–2000)
    Oil on canvas
    H 121.9 x W 137 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Seascape, Gorleston, Norfolk
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • W. Geoffrey Bannister

    Convoy of Troopships Leaving Gibraltar, August 1943 after 1943
    W. Geoffrey Bannister
    Oil on canvas
    H 48 x W 68.5 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Convoy of Troopships Leaving Gibraltar, August 1943
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Stephen Bone (1904–1958)

    S-Class Submarine:The Wardroom and Forward Mess Deck Seen through the Davis Escape Chamber 1945
    Stephen Bone (1904–1958)
    Oil on canvas
    H 76 x W 76 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    S-Class Submarine:The Wardroom and Forward Mess Deck Seen through the Davis Escape Chamber
    Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Arthur Royce Bradbury (1892–1977)

    Fo'c'sle of the Barquentine 'Waterwitch' 1931
    Arthur Royce Bradbury (1892–1977)
    Oil on board
    H 19.9 x W 26 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Fo'c'sle of the Barquentine 'Waterwitch'
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Arthur James Wetherall Burgess (1879–1957)

    The 'Rangitata' and Three London Tugs c.1945–1948
    Arthur James Wetherall Burgess (1879–1957)
    Oil on canvas
    H 76 x W 101.5 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    The 'Rangitata' and Three London Tugs
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Brenda Bury

    Frank George Griffith Carr (1903–1991), Second Director of the National Maritime Museum (1947–1966) 1969
    Brenda Bury
    Oil on canvas
    H 101.5 x W 71 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Frank George Griffith Carr (1903–1991), Second Director of the National Maritime Museum (1947–1966)
    © the artist. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Herbert E. Butler (1861–1931)

    Hauling in the Lobster Pot 1903
    Herbert E. Butler (1861–1931)
    Oil on canvas
    H 61 x W 91.5 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Hauling in the Lobster Pot
    Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Henry Marvell Carr (1894–1970)

    Merchant Service Fireman 1942
    Henry Marvell Carr (1894–1970)
    Oil on canvas
    H 127.4 x W 91.5 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Merchant Service Fireman
    Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Jesse Dale Cast (1900–1976)

    A Jetty at Greenwich probably 1938
    Jesse Dale Cast (1900–1976)
    Oil on canvas
    H 33.2 x W 62.4 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    A Jetty at Greenwich
    © National Maritime Museum. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Anne Christopherson (1921–2013)

    Shipbuilding at Greenwich c.1970
    Anne Christopherson (1921–2013)
    Oil on canvas
    H 61 x W 76 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Shipbuilding at Greenwich
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Charles David Cobb (1921–2014)

    Scrubbing the Yacht 'Golden Vanity' 20th C
    Charles David Cobb (1921–2014)
    Oil on canvas
    H 51 x W 76 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Scrubbing the Yacht 'Golden Vanity'
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Peter Coker (1926–2004)

    Rain, Rainbow and Stormy Seas 1974
    Peter Coker (1926–2004)
    Oil on canvas
    H 102.2 x W 204 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Rain, Rainbow and Stormy Seas
    © National Maritime Museum. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Leslie Cole (1910–1976)

    Landing Craft Mechanized 1943
    Leslie Cole (1910–1976)
    Oil on canvas
    H 61 x W 91.5 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Landing Craft Mechanized
    Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • John Kingsley Cook (1911–1994)

    Fête (fete) on 14th July 1942. Put on by Prisoners at Méchéria (Mecheria) 1942
    John Kingsley Cook (1911–1994)
    Oil on canvas
    H 36 x W 47 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Fête (fete) on 14th July 1942. Put on by Prisoners at Méchéria (Mecheria)
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Arthur Stockdale Cope (1857–1940)

    Admiral David Beatty (1871–1936), 1st Earl Beatty 1920
    Arthur Stockdale Cope (1857–1940)
    Oil on canvas
    H 76.2 x W 63.5 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Admiral David Beatty (1871–1936), 1st Earl Beatty
    Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Frank Thomas Copnall (1870–1949)

    The Steamship 'Lusitania' in the Mersey, November 1907 1907
    Frank Thomas Copnall (1870–1949)
    Oil on leathercloth
    H 53.7 x W 79.3 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    The Steamship 'Lusitania' in the Mersey, November 1907
    Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Alma Claude Burlton Cull (1880–1931)

    Arrival of the Fleet for the Coronation Review 1912
    Alma Claude Burlton Cull (1880–1931)
    Oil on canvas
    H 97 x W 188 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Arrival of the Fleet for the Coronation Review
    Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Charles Ernest Cundall (1890–1971)

    Libertymen at Lyness 1942
    Charles Ernest Cundall (1890–1971)
    Oil on canvas
    H 92 x W 132 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Libertymen at Lyness
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Anthony Devas (1911–1958)

    Rear Admiral M. C. Morgan-Giles (1914–2013) 1945
    Anthony Devas (1911–1958)
    Oil on canvas
    H 76 x W 63.5 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Rear Admiral M. C. Morgan-Giles (1914–2013)
    Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • William D. Dring (1904–1990)

    Lieutenant Commander Harry John Hall c.1942–1945
    William D. Dring (1904–1990)
    Oil on canvas
    H 101.5 x W 51 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Lieutenant Commander Harry John Hall
    © the artist's estate / Bridgeman Images. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Richard Ernst Eurich (1903–1992)

    Whitby in Wartime mid-20th C
    Richard Ernst Eurich (1903–1992)
    Oil on canvas
    H 63.5 x W 76 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Whitby in Wartime
    © crown copyright. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • John Everett (1876–1949)

    A Convoy, 1918 1918
    John Everett (1876–1949)
    Oil on canvas
    H 79.6 x W 95.2 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    A Convoy, 1918
    Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • William Russell Flint (1880–1969)

    Rear Admiral Sir Murray Sueter (1872–1960) 1928
    William Russell Flint (1880–1969)
    Oil on canvas
    H 61 x W 51 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Rear Admiral Sir Murray Sueter (1872–1960)
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • John Fraser (1858–1927)

    A Zeppelin Raid, 8 October 1915 c.1915–1918
    John Fraser (1858–1927)
    Oil on canvas
    H 45.7 x W 30.5 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    A Zeppelin Raid, 8 October 1915
    Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Bernard Hailstone (1910–1987)

    Big Ben the Bargee 1943
    Bernard Hailstone (1910–1987)
    Oil on canvas
    H 89 x W 101.5 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Big Ben the Bargee
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Ruth Hurle (1917–2004)

    A Hunt Class Destroyer in Dry Dock
    Ruth Hurle (1917–2004)
    Oil on canvas
    H 31.7 x W 35.5 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    A Hunt Class Destroyer in Dry Dock
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Peter Jamieson (b.1945)

    The Docks at Great Yarmouth: Evening late 20th C
    Peter Jamieson (b.1945)
    Oil on hardboard
    H 20.5 x W 25.5 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    The Docks at Great Yarmouth: Evening
    © the artist. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Rodney Johnson (b.1920)

    Royal Docks
    Rodney Johnson (b.1920)
    Oil on hardboard
    H 73.5 x W 122 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Royal Docks
    © the artist. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Peter Knox (b.1942)

    Deck Scene on Board a Trawler 1972
    Peter Knox (b.1942)
    Oil on canvas
    H 38.1 x W 45.7 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Deck Scene on Board a Trawler
    © the artist. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Henry Lamb (1883–1960)

    Eleven O'clock in the Forecastle 1940
    Henry Lamb (1883–1960)
    Oil on canvas
    H 50.8 x W 60.9 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Eleven O'clock in the Forecastle
    Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Rowland Langmaid (1897–1956)

    Landing at Sicily, 10 July 1943 after 1943
    Rowland Langmaid (1897–1956)
    Oil on canvas
    H 50.8 x W 101.6 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Landing at Sicily, 10 July 1943
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Cecil Constant Philip Lawson (1880–1967)

    Albert Bridge (?) During the Peace Pageant River Procession, 4 August 1919 c.1919
    Cecil Constant Philip Lawson (1880–1967)
    Oil on panel
    H 31 x W 23 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Albert Bridge (?) During the Peace Pageant River Procession, 4 August 1919
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Reginald James Lloyd (1926–2020)

    Stair Hole 1974
    Reginald James Lloyd (1926–2020)
    Oil on board
    H 37 x W 53.6 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Stair Hole
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Laurence Stephen Lowry (1887–1976)

    View of Deptford Power Station from Greenwich 1959
    Laurence Stephen Lowry (1887–1976)
    Oil on canvas
    H 50.8 x W 76.2 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    View of Deptford Power Station from Greenwich
    © The Estate of L.S. Lowry. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2025. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Ambrose McEvoy (1877–1927)

    Lieutenant William Edward Sanders (1883–1917), VC, DSO, RNR c.1918
    Ambrose McEvoy (1877–1927)
    Oil on canvas
    H 50.5 x W 40.3 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Lieutenant William Edward Sanders (1883–1917), VC, DSO, RNR
    Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Paul Ayshford Methuen (1886–1974)

    Helford River, Cornwall 1944
    Paul Ayshford Methuen (1886–1974)
    Oil on canvas on board
    H 40.5 x W 55.8 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Helford River, Cornwall
    © trustees of the Corsham estate. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Walter Thomas Monnington (1902–1976)

    Admiral of the Fleet John Jellicoe (1859–1935), 1st Earl Jellicoe 1933
    Walter Thomas Monnington (1902–1976)
    Oil on canvas
    H 127 x W 101.5 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Admiral of the Fleet John Jellicoe (1859–1935), 1st Earl Jellicoe
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • John Munday (1924–2012)

    HMS 'Calliope' in the Tyne, 1950
    John Munday (1924–2012)
    Oil on board
    H 45.6 x W 54.5 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    HMS 'Calliope' in the Tyne, 1950
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Humphrey Ocean (b.1951)

    The First of England 1998
    Humphrey Ocean (b.1951)
    Acrylic on canvas
    H 249 x W 310 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    The First of England
    © National Maritime Museum. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • William Orpen (1878–1931)

    Herbert Barnard John Everett (1877–1949) c.1900
    William Orpen (1878–1931)
    Oil on canvas
    H 96.5 x W 91.5 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Herbert Barnard John Everett (1877–1949)
    Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Charles Pears (1873–1958)

    Convoy to Russia c.1944–1945
    Charles Pears (1873–1958)
    Oil on canvas
    H 81.3 x W 127 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Convoy to Russia
    Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • John Edgar Platt (1886–1967)

    Convoy Arriving off St Anthony's Lighthouse, Falmouth 1942
    John Edgar Platt (1886–1967)
    Oil on canvas
    H 91.3 x W 71 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Convoy Arriving off St Anthony's Lighthouse, Falmouth
    Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Albert Richards (1919–1945)

    View of Le Havre c.1944
    Albert Richards (1919–1945)
    Oil on canvas
    H 101.5 x W 127 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    View of Le Havre
    Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Rupert Shephard (1909–1992)

    Commander Sir George Binney (1900–1972), RNVR 1947
    Rupert Shephard (1909–1992)
    Oil on canvas
    H 76.1 x W 63.4 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Commander Sir George Binney (1900–1972), RNVR
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Ellis Silas (1885–1972)

    HMS 'Wave' Ashore at St Ives, 1952 1952
    Ellis Silas (1885–1972)
    Oil on canvas
    H 50.3 x W 65 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    HMS 'Wave' Ashore at St Ives, 1952
    © the artist's estate. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • William Eric Thorp (1901–1993)

    Sunrise on the River Orwell, Pin Mill
    William Eric Thorp (1901–1993)
    Oil on canvas
    H 50.8 x W 61 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Sunrise on the River Orwell, Pin Mill
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Charles Edward Turner (1883–1965)

    Dockyard Scene: HMS 'Vanguard' in Dry-Dock c.1946–1950
    Charles Edward Turner (1883–1965)
    Oil on canvas
    H 40.6 x W 50.8 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Dockyard Scene: HMS 'Vanguard' in Dry-Dock
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Albert Wyndham Tusting (1918–1993)

    A Trawler in a Gale at Night 1967
    Albert Wyndham Tusting (1918–1993)
    Oil on board
    H 60.9 x W 81.3 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    A Trawler in a Gale at Night
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Edward Alexander Wadsworth (1889–1949)

    L'Avant Port, Marseilles 1924
    Edward Alexander Wadsworth (1889–1949)
    Egg tempera on canvas on panel
    H 63.6 x W 88.9 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    L'Avant Port, Marseilles
    Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Arthur Douglas Wales-Smith (1888–1966)

    Sir Dudley Pound (1877–1943) early 20th C–mid-20th C
    Arthur Douglas Wales-Smith (1888–1966)
    Oil on canvas
    H 126.8 x W 102.4 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Sir Dudley Pound (1877–1943)
    © the copyright holder. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Alfred Wallis (1855–1942)

    St Ives Harbour, Cornwall mid-20th C
    Alfred Wallis (1855–1942)
    Oil with graphite on card on board
    H 38.1 x W 43.9 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    St Ives Harbour, Cornwall
    Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • Norman Wilkinson (1878–1971)

    The Second Battle of Narvik, 13 April 1940 mid-20th C
    Norman Wilkinson (1878–1971)
    Oil on canvas
    H 76.2 x W 101.6 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    The Second Battle of Narvik, 13 April 1940
    © Norman Wilkinson Estate. All rights reserved, DACS 2025. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • John Wonnacott (b.1940)

    Winter Afternoon: Container Ships off Felixstowe, 1993–1994 late 1990s
    John Wonnacott (b.1940)
    Oil on canvas
    H 151.9 x W 221 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Winter Afternoon: Container Ships off Felixstowe, 1993–1994
    © the artist. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

  • John Worsley (1919–2000)

    Naval Officers Room at Marlag O, Prisoner of War Camp mid-20th C
    John Worsley (1919–2000)
    Oil on canvas
    H 610 x W 75 cm
    Royal Museums Greenwich
    Naval Officers Room at Marlag O, Prisoner of War Camp
    © crown copyright. Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

Explore artists in this Curation

View all 54
  • Fighter Affiliation: Halifax and Hurricane Aircraft Co-Operating in Action
    Walter Thomas Monnington (1902–1976)
  • Camden Crescent, Bath
    Paul Ayshford Methuen (1886–1974)
  • A Hunt Class Destroyer in Dry Dock
    Ruth Hurle (1917–2004)
  • Convoy of Troopships Leaving Gibraltar, August 1943
    W. Geoffrey Bannister
  • Cliff at Étretat, France
    Peter Coker (1926–2004)
  • Familiar Silhouettes
    Henry Marvell Carr (1894–1970)
  • Seascape, Gorleston, Norfolk
    Anthony Amies (1945–2000)
  • Yachts
    Rodney Johnson (b.1920)
  • Naval Officers of World War I
    Arthur Stockdale Cope (1857–1940)
  • HMS 'Calliope' in the Tyne, 1950
    John Munday (1924–2012)
  • View all 54
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