E. W. Bearman - R.M.S. Majestic

E. W. Bearman (American 1916–1992) - R.M.S. Majestic, White Star Line, 1957

A highly detailed mid-century gouache by the American marine artist Edward W. Bearman (1916–1992), depicting the celebrated White Star liner R.M.S. Majestic underway on the North Atlantic. Signed and dated E. W. Bearman - 1957 at the lower right.

Bearman presents the immense liner from a low viewpoint, her sharply defined black hull rising above an expanse of vivid blue water. The ship is rendered with remarkable precision, from the three buff-and-black funnels and rows of portholes to the lifeboats, bridge, masts, rigging and signal flags. Against this highly controlled treatment of the vessel, the sea is handled in broad interlocking passages of turquoise, cobalt and white, while softly painted clouds and scattered seabirds give the composition a greater sense of movement and atmosphere.

The painting reflects Bearman's particular fascination with the great passenger ships of the steam age. Born in the United States in 1916, Bearman worked for many years in the railway industry and initially painted locomotives before extending his interest in mechanical subjects to the great transatlantic liners. His recorded subjects include Titanic, Olympic, Britannic, Lusitania, Mauretania, Aquitania, Normandie and other celebrated vessels, establishing him as a specialist chronicler of the great ships of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The subject of the present work is the second White Star liner to bear the name Majestic. Originally launched in Hamburg in 1914 as the German liner Bismarck, she was one of the enormous Imperator-class vessels built for the Hamburg-Amerika Line. The outbreak of the First World War delayed her completion, and following the conflict she was transferred to Britain as part of the post-war settlement.

Completed for the White Star Line and renamed Majestic, she entered service in 1922 on the prestigious Southampton-Cherbourg-New York route. At more than 56,000 gross tons and approximately 956 feet in length, she was the largest vessel ever operated by White Star and, for a period, the largest passenger ship in the world. Together with Olympic and Homeric, she formed the company's principal three-ship express service across the North Atlantic during the 1920s.

Bearman depicts Majestic in her classic White Star appearance, with a deep black hull, white superstructure and three buff funnels with black tops. The American flag flying from the mast reinforces the ship's close association with the transatlantic passage to New York. Painted in 1957, almost two decades after the vessel's destruction, the work is deliberately retrospective and was almost certainly based on historic photographs and technical reference material rather than direct observation.

The later history of Majestic provides an especially interesting British and Scottish connection. Following the Cunard-White Star merger, she was withdrawn from passenger service in 1936 and subsequently acquired by the Admiralty for conversion into the training ship HMS Caledonia. Her funnels and masts were reduced in height so that she could pass beneath the Forth Bridge before taking up her new role at Rosyth. In September 1939 she was destroyed by fire there, and the remains were later taken to Inverkeithing for breaking up.

An especially useful comparison survives with another Bearman painting of R.M.S. Majestic, likewise signed and dated 1957, which was offered by Christie's New York in its 2008 Ocean Liner sale with an estimate of US$1,000–1,500. A printed copy of the Christie's catalogue entry has been retained on the reverse of the present picture by a previous owner. The Christie's example was substantially larger, measuring approximately 76 x 102cm, indicating that the present work appears to be a separate, smaller version of the same closely related composition rather than the painting previously offered at Christie's.

This repetition is consistent with Bearman's wider practice. Other documented liner portraits by the artist include substantial gouaches of S.S. Normandie and S.S. Oceanic, suggesting that the great transatlantic liners formed an important and sustained body of work throughout his career.

Presented under glass with a broad cream mount in a large gilt-toned frame. The restrained framing allows the brilliant blue sea, black hull and warm funnels of the liner to dominate, giving the work considerable decorative impact and presence.

A particularly impressive example of Bearman's specialist ocean-liner painting, combining meticulous technical detail with the bold colour and graphic clarity of gouache. The celebrated White Star subject, large scale, 1957 date and documented comparison with another Majestic composition offered by Christie's make this an especially appealing work for collectors of maritime art, ocean-liner history and White Star memorabilia.

Artist: Edward W. Bearman (American, 1916–1992)
Title: R.M.S. Majestic
Date: 1957
Medium: Gouache on board
Signed: Signed and dated “E. W. Bearman - 1957” lower right
Image size: 57cm x 82cm
Framed size: 85cm x 109cm
Provenance / Documentation: Retains to the reverse a previous owner's printed Christie's catalogue reference for a separate, larger 1957 Bearman painting of R.M.S. Majestic, offered at Christie's New York in 2008 with an estimate of US$1,000–1,500
Condition: Good vintage condition overall. The gouache presents strongly beneath glass, with minor age-related wear consistent with its date. The mount and large gilt-toned frame show some general signs of age and use. Please refer to the photographs for full details of condition.