The Aquatania Entering Southampton
Medium
chalk and pen and ink with watercolor over graphite
Dimensions
overall (approximate): 27.1 x 21.3 cm (10 11/16 x 8 3/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.1528
Art Historical Context
Behold *The Aquatania Entering Southampton* (1923), a captivating drawing by Sir Muirhead, the renowned Scottish artist celebrated for his meticulous topographical works and official World War I sketches. This intimate piece, measuring just 27.1 x 21.3 cm, captures the majestic Cunard ocean liner Aquitania gliding into the bustling port of Southampton, a gateway to transatlantic adventure in the Roaring Twenties. Bone's scene evokes the golden age of ocean liners, when vessels like the Aquitania—nicknamed the "Ship Beautiful"—symbolized luxury, speed, and post-war optimism. Launched in 1913, ...
About the Artist
Sir Muirhead Bone
Sir Muirhead Bone (1876–1953), born David Muirhead Bone in Partick, Glasgow, to a journalist father and descended from a family of printers, showed early artistic promise. Apprenticed at fourteen first as a porcelain painter and then as an architect's draughtsman for four years, he honed his draughtsmanship while attending evening classes at the Glasgow School of Art under teachers Archibald Kay a...