Ships in a Gale

Dominic Serres's Ships in a Gale, painted in 1770, depicts vessels struggling against a storm by the painter who became the first official Marine Painter to King George III. Serres, born in Auch in France, reportedly went to sea as a young man and was captured by a British ship, eventually settling in London. His firsthand experience of seafaring gave his marine paintings an authenticity that earned him the royal appointment in 1768.

The oil on canvas captures the violence of the storm with dynamic composition and dramatic contrasts of light and dark. The ships heeling under wind and the churning seas demonstrate Serres's understanding of both naval architecture and the forces of nature at sea.