Object Description
A watercolour and gouache on board of HMS Magnificent by Harry Price.
Magnificent was a Majestic-class battleship launched in 1894 and was the Channel Squadron flagship of Rear-Admiral Arthur Alington. As she increased in age, her roles changed. First as a guard ship on the Humber during World War 1, then as a troopship for the Dardanelles campaign and finally as an ammunition ship before she was scrapped in 1921.
The painting is signed ‘H.W.P. 1903’ and has a label to the back giving a profile of the ship from above. The label also states ‘H.M.S. Magnificent 1900’ above the ship with ‘H.W. Price RN, Chatham’ below. To the side is a simple anchor drawing with ‘5.’ above and ’61’ below.
The ship is illustrated approaching the viewer three quarters on, cutting through the sea. Price had painted Magnificent one before in a similar manner for his diary of the Royal Tour of 1901, when the channel Squadron met HMSY Ophir on her return. He described the encounter ‘One thing surprised us all; that was finding the Magnificent in full war paint black and grey, and she looked much more formidable…’ Dated 1903.