Dazzle-ships in Drydock at Liverpool

Dazzle-ships in Drydock at Liverpool is a 1919 oil painting by the English artist Edward Wadsworth. It is one of Wadsworth's most famous paintings[1] and depicts a freshly painted vessel with dazzle camouflage in dry dock.[2]

Dazzle-ships in Drydock at Liverpool
ArtistEdward Wadsworth
Year1919
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions304.8 cm × 243.8 cm (120.0 in × 96.0 in)
LocationNational Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Creation

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Wadsworth had been involved with Vorticism, an abstract art movement led by Wyndham Lewis, before he was employed to design dazzle camouflage for ships during World War I. This experience forms the background for Dazzle-ships in Drydock at Liverpool.[1]

Legacy

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The graphic designer Peter Saville was struck by the painting and suggested the title for the album Dazzle Ships by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Saville designed the album's cover and used Wadsworth's painting as inspiration.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b A Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Art. Oxford University Press. 2009. p. 744. ISBN 9780199239658.
  2. ^ "Dazzleships in Dry Dock at Liverpool | National Gallery of Canada".
  3. ^ "OMD* – Dazzle Ships". Discogs. Retrieved 16 March 2017.

Further reading

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