SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS The sculptures of the British Royal Ship of 1637
Year: 2002 Language: English Author: Hendrik Busmann Genre: History of the Navy Format: PDF Quality: eBook Pages count: 659 Description: Carved figures on wooden ships have always exerted a fascinating effect on people. Whether one considers the canoes of seafaring indigenous peoples, the sun barges of ancient Egypt, the dragon boats of the Vikings, or the last cargo sailing ships built around the turn of the 20th century, their sculptures always possess a certain magic. It still touches us strangely today, even though we no longer easily understand the meaning and purpose of such figurative works. Regarding the scope and effort of such figural carving, the great sailing ships of the 17th and the first half of the 18th centuries, an era artistically assigned to the Baroque period, undoubtedly represent the peak within European shipbuilding history. In particular, the heavily armed warships showed particularly magnificent decoration. The SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS, whose figurehead is the subject of the present investigation, belonged to such vessels. The extraordinary rank this three-decker, built between 1635-38 on the orders of King Charles I of Great Britain, held is evident from the diary entries of the English privateer and art connoisseur John Evelyn. He visited the ship in July 1641 and noted: The 19th we rod to Rochester, and having seen the Cathedral, we went to Chatham to see the Sovraigne, a mo[n]strousVessel so call'd, being for burthen, defense and ornament the richest that ever spread cloth before the Wind; and especially for this remarkable, that her building cost his Majestie the affections of his Subjects, who quarreld with him for a trifle (as it was manag'd by some of his seacret Enemys, who made this an occasion) refusing to contribute either to their owne safety, or his glory. While this assessment must be viewed with some reservation regarding the alleged political repercussions of shipbuilding, it is certainly not exaggerated concerning the threedecker itself, despite its superlatives. The SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS was indeed one of the largest and most heavily armed sailing ships of its time. Above all, however, it was distinguished by its exorbitant wealth of gilded sculptures, a richness that was rarely matched even in the last third of the century, when the phenomenon experienced its international heyday. The vessel played a role in English shipbuilding history not only because it was spectacular but also because it was pioneering in terms of its architecture, rigging, and armament. For these reasons, as well as its rich figural decoration, it remains quite well-known, even famous, to this day.
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SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS The sculptures of the British Royal Ship of 1637
Language: English
Author: Hendrik Busmann
Genre: History of the Navy
Format: PDF
Quality: eBook
Pages count: 659
Description: Carved figures on wooden ships have always exerted a fascinating effect on people. Whether one considers the canoes of seafaring indigenous peoples, the sun barges of
ancient Egypt, the dragon boats of the Vikings, or the last cargo sailing ships built around the turn of the 20th century, their sculptures always possess a certain magic. It still touches us strangely today, even though we no longer easily understand the meaning and purpose of such figurative works.
Regarding the scope and effort of such figural carving, the great sailing ships of the 17th and the first half of the 18th centuries, an era artistically assigned to the Baroque period, undoubtedly represent the peak within European shipbuilding history. In particular, the heavily armed warships showed particularly magnificent decoration. The SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS, whose figurehead is the subject of the present investigation, belonged to such vessels.
The extraordinary rank this three-decker, built between 1635-38 on the orders of King Charles I of Great Britain, held is evident from the diary entries of the English privateer and art connoisseur John Evelyn. He visited the ship in July 1641 and noted: The 19th we rod to Rochester, and having seen the Cathedral, we went to Chatham to see
the Sovraigne, a mo[n]strousVessel so call'd, being for burthen, defense and ornament the richest that ever spread cloth before the Wind; and especially for this remarkable, that her building cost his Majestie the affections of his Subjects, who quarreld with him for a trifle (as it was manag'd by some of his seacret Enemys, who made this an occasion) refusing to contribute either to their owne safety, or his glory.
While this assessment must be viewed with some reservation regarding the alleged political repercussions of shipbuilding, it is certainly not exaggerated concerning the threedecker itself, despite its superlatives. The SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS was indeed one of the largest and most heavily armed sailing ships of its time. Above all, however, it was distinguished by its exorbitant wealth of gilded sculptures, a richness that was rarely matched even in the last third of the century, when the phenomenon experienced its
international heyday. The vessel played a role in English shipbuilding history not only because it was spectacular but also because it was pioneering in terms of its architecture, rigging, and armament. For these reasons, as well as its rich figural decoration, it remains quite well-known, even famous, to this day.
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