Mary Rose revealed: new painting captures warship
A leading maritime artist has unveiled a new oil painting of the Mary Rose that may put an end to debate on what Henry VIII’s flagship looked like.
Geoff Hunt painted his masterpiece to mark the 500th anniversary of the ship which was commissioned in 1509, following Henry’s accession to the throne. The ship played an important role in a number of wars and battles, until it capsized in a battle against the French, in the Solent, in July 1545.
Hunt’s painting is the result of hours of painstaking study and research, as only 40 per cent of the ship has been recovered from the wreckage. Before even lifting a paintbrush, the artist spent over 113 hours studying the remains of the ship and working closely with academics and archaeologists to determine accurate information about the size and sailing characteristics of the Tudor warship. It is believed that the Mary Rose had magnificent double-decked ‘castles’ which made it top heavy and ultimately led to it sinking during battle, a feature that has been captured in the extraordinarily detailed painting.
The painting of the Mary Rose in all its glory is currently on display at Whitgift School, Croydon, in an exhibition celebrating the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s succession to the throne. The ‘Hidden Treasures’ exhibition is the first time that artefacts from the Mary Rose have been on display outside of Portsmouth Historic dockyard, which houses the recovered hull of the great ship. The hull will be withdrawn from public view this autumn as a new museum is built around it. The £35 million project, which is scheduled to be completed in 2012, will see the Mary Rose displayed in a wonderful new home that will resemble a finely crafted wooden jewellery box – very apt considering it will hold exhibits of thousands of unseen artefacts from the wreckage. Tudor historian Dr David Starkey claims the ship is “this country’s Pompeii, painting the finest picture of the world of 16th century life.”
The new museum will be clad in timber planks to evoke the structure of the Mary Rose, and the exterior will feature inscriptions drawn from carved symbols found aboard that the crew used to mark their possessions. Geoff Hunt kindly donated his painting to the Mary Rose trust to help raise funds for the project. Following a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and a lot of fundraising activity, 84% of the needed £35 million has been raised. Canvas and paper prints of Hunt’s painting are available online at www.maryrose.org
Hidden Treasures from the Mary Rose, open daily 10am-5pm until 7th August 2009; Admission: £8 adults, £5 concessions
Mary Rose miscellany
* It is thought the Mary Rose is named after Henry’s favourite sister, Mary, and the Tudor emblem, the Rose.
* The weight of the Mary Rose increased from 500 tons in 1512 to 700 tons when the ship sank in 1545.
* It is believed from original crew lists that the Mary Rose consistently carried 400 crew members.
*The total length of the Mary Rose was 45m and the ship had a breadth of 11.66m.
* There were 15 Bronze guns and 24 Iron guns in the ships armament. Geoff Hunt donated his painting to the Mary Rose Trust to help raise funds for the project. Following a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and a lot of fundraising activity, 84 per cent of the £35 million needed has been raised.
Canvas and paper prints of Hunt’s painting are available online at www.maryrose.org. For information about ‘Hidden Treasures’ visit www.maryrosehiddentreasures.org