Past and present – Glasgow Harbour

Description

The Tall Ship Glenlee berthed at the Pumphouse was an ideal setting for a painting of one of Glasgow’s oldest Tall Ships – a steel hulled three-masted barque built in Port Glasgow as a cargo ship in 1896.

Michael decided to paint the ship from the quayside looking back from the stern to elevate it, encapsulate its power and show its stature. The ship has an impressive air draft (height) of 137 and a half feet and is 245 feet in length. The idea was to contrast the past and present of Glasgow, with the Tall Ship, Pumphouse and iconic Paddle Steamer Waverley set against the backdrop of modern day landmarks such as Glasgow Science Centre and Glasgow Tower.

The perspective of the ship and quay leads the eye to the Pumphouse, with the palette of earth tones on the quay complementing the colour of the River Clyde and Glasgow sky. While the Glenlee’s flags and hull add a splash of colour.

Another of Michael’s works features Glenlee berthed at Riverside Museum in Glasgow, while Tall Ships – Victoria Harbour captures the ship docked in Greenock during the Tall Ships races of 1999.