About Maritime Originals

I have specialised for over two decades in selling original fine marine paintings, mostly warships of the early 1900s to the present day.  Dreadnought battleships, battle cruisers, battle squadrons, destroyers,  royal yachts, fleet reviews, submarines, cruisers and racing cutters...  A substantial part of the collection is composed of fine art of the Great War, 1914-18 and of the many other theatres in which the Royal Navy was still involved in hostilities or armed tension after 11th November 1918, the Baltic, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea to name three.  But there are many too of subseqent ships and events. 

Several of my pictures have found their way over the years into Buckingham Palace and Sandringham House

If its PRINTS of these that you seek then please visit  www.maritimeprints.com:  this website is purely about fine art originals

Are you consdering selling any of your pictures?

Should you wish to sell any of your marine art then do please consider contacting me.  In nearly a quarter of a century now I have never knowingly offered less than  current market prices indicate are realistic, as like other art dealers I have constant access to auction hammer prices worldwide.  But unlike selling at auction where you will have to pay Seller's Premium (currently at many auctioneers 12-15% of the hammer price obtained plus insurance whilst the painting was with the auction house, plus VAT, all of which is then deducted from what the auctioneer gives you) I do not have to deduct any such expenses and will pay you what we agree your picture is worth - no deductions, no expenses.  Also, unlike auction houses which are famously slow to pay you once they have sold your picture (typically 42 days later, sometimes longer, 56 days) I will pay you by the method you prefer there and then.  So do think about coming to me first! 

The background to the collection

Most of the artists represented here are very well known and respected in marine artists' circles. They are artists who knew their stuff and their subject, and their pictures are to be found in the Royal Collection and other private collections, the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, the Imperial War Museum in London and other national and international galleries; aboard the Royal Yacht BRITANNIA when she was in commission and now, decommissioned and in Leith, in the Royal Navy's collection aboard HM Ships and Submarines, the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth and in other places of distinction such as the boardrooms and libraries of some of the respected establishments in Great Britain and overseas. Maritime originals  by these top flight "brushes" have an avid international following and sell well privately. They are offered for sale here at prices that are extremely favourable when compared with, for example, London and metropolitan picture galleries: my overheads are considerably less than theirs.  For several reasons many prices are not posted here on the website but its a simple matter just to click on the appropriate wording that appears alongside each picture to ask for a quote; and in many cases there is always room for a bit of bargaining. 

Pictures here come and go on a regular basis and the list of artists I offer will remain broadly as at present: apart from a Trafalgar scene or two, essentially it represents a swathe of some one hundred years  (1905 to 2005), during the earlier years of which the Royal Navy and British Merchant Fleet were at their most spectacular, most far flung, most impressive; the big racing yachts such as the Big Class and J Class ruled the grand sailing regattas; and international maritime fleet reviews and events were at their zenith of lavish flamboyance. Fortunately high calibre artists were on hand to record these never to be repeated scenes for later generations to enjoy.

Falling neatly into the start of this timeframe is the introduction into Royal Naval service of the world's first dreadnought battleship, HMS DREADNOUGHT, and so it is that many of the original pictures here are of these great and imposing leviathans together with pictures of the flotillas and squadrons that inevitably accompanied these capital ships wherever they went in fair times and in foul.

Naval Reviews at Spithead and WWs 1 and 2 sea battles feature prominently as does one very large collection of the watercolours of Commander Eric Tufnell who  was  keen to record notable WW2 events in which ships of the Royal Navy so often played a prominent part.  

To enable some paintings to be shown that have not been executed by the recognized great and good but which are still considered to have merit, there is a Miscellaneous Section. 

Finding a specific original for you

I specialise in finding particular paintings or artists for clients. Some I may already have (there are generally some 50 or so originals in stock), others very occasionally can be bought from private owners, some may be appearing at auction around the country or indeed, the world. Please therefore contact me ([email protected]) if you are hunting for a particular ship or battle, artist or event: tracking it down is a challenge that is always enjoyed and is surprisingly often successful given sufficient time. 

Richard Cosby LVO - Director, Maritime Originals.  www.maritimeorigials.com