Ironclads and Paddlers

Charlottesville, VA: Howell Press, 1993. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. Ian Marshall (Paintings). Format is approximately 10 inches by 10 inches. 108 pages. List of Illustrations. Foreword by John Maxtone-Graham. Bibliography. Index. Painting ships, Ian observed, has some of the same challenges as painting portraits. The painting, beyond revealing the complex depth of the subject, should say something about the personality of the sitter. A painting, any good painting, should have something to say. Stretching across maritime collections and Naval Museums, his ships, the skies, the waters, celebrate the dance of movement on paper. There is always something new that the artist finds interesting: the composition of a naval parade through the streetscape of Malta, the colors rippling on Ossipee lake. The portrait invites us to share, to understand, to enjoy, and to love. The author brings the subject to life in almost forty original paintings depicting representative vessels of the era in natural settings. The paintings lend a certain grace to these proud ships often missing from the period photographs and drawings. This book is a collection of paintings of "ironclads," the ships protected from shot and shell by iron plating, and "paddlers, " ships propelled by paddle wheels, steam and sail. Although Ironclads and Paddlers does in fact discuss those particular ship types, it goes far beyond and offers what amounts to an introductory survey of nineteenth century naval development. The majority of the book examines the evolution of warship construction over the course of the century. Great Britain's Royal Navy receives the most attention , although American, French, Italian, and German designs merit mention when necessary. Marshall also includes biographical sketches of Lord Thomas Cochrane and Lord John "Jackie" Fisher as representative agents of the changes taking place from the Napoleonic wars to the introduction of the dreadnoughts. Ironclads and Paddlers is more than just another picture book for the living-room coffee table. It offers an engaging and informative overview of the period.