Modern art takes to the waves
In 1933 Cunard commissioned paintings from Edward Wadsworth and other leading British artists for its new flagship liner, the "Queen Mary". But, as Abbie N. Sprague explains, artistic expression had to bend to commercial taste.
Abbie N. Sprague, Wednesday, 23rd April 2008
The letter continued, singling out individual works; Wadsworth’s paintings did not escape unscathed. Of the fore and aft panels, already approved by Morris, Whipp wrote: ‘Mr. Wadsworth’s conception for these two panels appears to me again most unsuitable. . . both as regard to subject, scale, and proposed colour scheme’.21 Morris, who had been hired to represent the tastes of Cunard’s American clientele, was being second-guessed by his British counterpart.22
Wadsworth was forced to abandon his vision of paired paintings. Cunard agreed that Arrival could remain, but insisted that the second painting must include either a ship or harbour; they wanted a painting ‘along the lines of Wadsworth’s earlier manner’.23 Wadsworth was crestfallen. Harbour scenes were a step backwards; he had explored those themes in the early 1920s, and felt that Cunard’s request would result in a derivative work.
Offing’s rejection defined Wadsworth’s working relationship with Cunard.24 The project was not to be a collaboration between artist and patron; it was a commission and Cunard had definite ideas of how they wanted their artists to ‘decorate’ the Queen Mary. ‘In order to please the powers that be’, Wadsworth agreed to produce another work for the lounge.25
After this setback, Wadsworth sought Tooth’s opinion before presenting his new concept to Cunard. With Tooth as his intermediary, he submitted designs for the second painting in early October, and took pains to involve Cunard in the smallest details. As Tooth wrote to Cunard, ‘The ship is dressed; the flags do not at present represent any particular signal but they can, if desired, communicate any message your Directors wish.’26
The recommissioned painting, titled Dressed Overall, fitted Cunard’s specifications (Fig. 7). A brigantine safely moored in a harbour would create a relaxing atmosphere for passengers idling away the hours in the smoking lounge. Throughout the project, Cunard had purposely steered their artists away from unsettling subjects. Themes such as ‘ice and fog’ were to be avoided.27 Wadsworth’s original concept had been two paintings of like images, both depicting the Queen Mary sailing along the horizon. In a half-hearted attempt to connect this new pairing, he again included the Queen Mary in the background – one showing her heading east and the other heading west.
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