The evolution of decorative work on English men-of-war from the 16th to the 19th centuries

Abstract

A mixture of shipbuilding, architecture, and art went into producing the wooden decorative work aboard ships of all nations from around the late 1500s until the advent of steam and the steel ship in the late 19th century. The leading humanists and artists in each country were called upon to draw up the iconographic plan for a ship??s ornamentation and to ensure that the work was done according to the ruler??s instructions. By looking through previous research, admiralty records, archaeological examples, and contemporary ship models, the progression of this maritime art form can be followed.