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Ships paint
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Berge



Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 1
Location: Norway

Post Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 8:11 am    Post subject: Ships paint Reply with quote

A couple of days ago I changed the background desktop picture on my computer to "The Battle of Trafalgar" by Steven Dews. For those of you that are unfamiliar with it - you can see a copy of the picture here: http://www.artmarine.co.uk/CL_Shop.asp?strAction=Display&page=3

Today however I noticed something I found very odd with the picture, all the French ships were also painted in brown and yellow. I seem to recall reading that this combination of colours were referred to as Nelson's colours, but I cannot remember where I read it.

I wondered if anyone could enlighten me as to what colours French and Spanish ships of the time were painted in, and if the yellow and brown really was "Nelson's colours"?

In advance - thank you for your replies!
-Berge
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PMarione
Site Admin


Joined: 26 Mar 2007
Posts: 883

Post Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 1:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'll leave to somebody to answer your question about the "Nelson's colors".

For the French ships (and for the RN) the colors were left at the captain's will.
The painting you refer to is an impression by a modern artist, and there was no photographer at Trafalgar to give us an idea.
Jean Boudriot gives a palette of colors with his books.

The colors are aproximative (print and scan).
The vivid colors were used for the carved work (figurehead...).
Black and yellow ochre (cheap colors) were used for the hull.
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Peter



Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Posts: 105
Location: Gosport, Hampshire

Post Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

First let me say Patrick, I think Vermilion would suit you perhaps, go with your eyes Evil or Very Mad

I am not sure of the Spanish and French ships of the period at the moment, I must admit I have never thought about it!

Originally RN ships were payed: Smeared or covered with pitch, resin or tallow, to protect against the sea water.

In or around 1783 there was an admiralty order to stop the paying of ships. They were later painted.

A Navy Board standing order of 4 December 1815 required ships of the line in commisssion should be painted with double streaks in a straight line. ... At the same time it was ordered at the time that the streaks should be white as opposed to the Nelsonian yellow....

The colours had varied considerably: delicate shades of primrose to the rather buff yellow of the dockyard.

Nelson's reasoning was simple to distinguish the ships in battle, in the smoke and melee, apart from the masthead flags and ensigns the only things that would have been seen was the ships's sides.

During the Falkland's war the RN ships had a black line down the centre of ships side, because the Argentinian had two T42 destroyers the same as the RN!

I was once on a ship where the ship's boats were painted canary yellow, and another where the anchors were painted white. How embarrassing!
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ionia



Joined: 08 Sep 2007
Posts: 46

Post Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 11:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

We have an accurate description of the paintwork of the French ships at the Battle of the Nile (Colonel Fawkes):



LE GUERRIER - Dark yellow sides.
LE CONQUERANT do.
LE SPARTIATE Light yellow sides.
L’AQUILON Red sides with a black streak between the upper and lower deck ports.
LE FRANKLIN Plain yellow sides.
LE PEUPLE SOUVERAIN Dark yellow sides.
LE TONNANT Broad light yellow with small black streaks in a line with the muzzles of the guns and 2 between the upper and lower deck ports.
L’HEUREUX Very dark yellow sides.
LE TIMOLEON Very dark red sides.
LE GUILLIAUME TELL Light yellow sides with a black streak between the upper and lower deck ports.
LE MERCURE Dark yellow sides.
LE GENEREUX Dark red sides.

The Frigates all yellow.
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Ionia
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