"The Empire Strikes Back: HMS Centurion; China 1900"

Water Colour &Body ColouronWater Colour Board

11 1/2 x 19 1/2 inches (29 x 49.5 cm)

Signed, lower right, and dated '21, lower right

Sold to a USAPrivate Collection

In this wonderful, fully researched painting Ian Lowe has depicted HMSCenturionin 1900, at the time of the Boxer Rebellion in China, leading her sister battleship HMS Barfleurfrom the Yellow Sea into the Bohai Sea (then called the Gulf of Pechihilli). The battleships are followed by the cruisers Orlando and Arethusa.

Centurion (like Barfleur) was a Second Class Battleship carrying 10 inch guns. She was commissioned in 1894 and designed for service on the China station, based in Hong Kong, and this is where she spent the bulk of her service.

The captain of Centurion at this time was John Jellicoe; serving on Barfleur was Commander David Beatty, both men destined for greater fame in the future.

Ian loves to paint what he calls his "steampunk" pre-Dreadnought battleships with their "tall funnels, ram bows, ventilators and pipes". He notes that here, at the transition from the Victorian era to that of the Dreadnought, Centurion in her white and buff paintwork, looks "as smart as a yacht"

COMMISSIONING IAN LOWE

At Marine Artists one of our main specialities is commissioning great marine and historical paintings forclients and collectorsall over the world

To commission your own painting from ian Lowe, contact Charles Mayescm@marineartists.co.ukand we will post or email you a free pack of information including our short guides "Commissioning a Painting from Ian Lowe" and "Price Guide and Timescale"