The Evolution of Decorative Work on English Men-of-War from the 16th to 19th Centuries
Alisa Michele Steere
Thesis: May 2005
Chair: Smith
A mixture of shipbuilding, architecture, and art
went into producing the wooden decorative work aboard ships of all
nations from around the late 1500s until the advent of steam and steel
ship in the late 19th century. The leading humanists and artists
in each country were called upon to draw up the iconographic plan for a
ship's ornamentation and to ensure that the work was done according to
the ruler's instructions. By looking through previous research,
admiralty records, archaeological examples, and contemporary ship
models, the progression of this maritime art form can be followed.