Charles Pears Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Charles Pears Art Value Price Guide

Jun. 30, 2026
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) A torpedoed merchantman under tow passing St. Anthony Head enroute to Falmouth at night
Est: £2,000 - £3,000
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) A torpedoed merchantman under tow passing St. Anthony Head enroute to Falmouth at night Signed ‘Chas Pears’ (lower left) and inscribed to reverse ‘Chas Pears President of S Marine Artists’ Oil on canvas 31 x 49in. (79 x 124.5cm.) Provenance: With the Royal Exchange Art Gallery, London Scattered retouching throughout. Framed 37 x 55in.
Charles Miller Ltd
Jun. 30, 2026
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) The Busy Port: A destroyer entering Falmouth Harbour protected by barrage balloons during World War I
Est: £2,000 - £3,000
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) The Busy Port: A destroyer entering Falmouth Harbour protected by barrage balloons during World War II Indistinctly signed ‘Chas Pears’ (lower left) with key to craft under mount, repeated with title on tape to reverse. Oil on canvas laid to board 18 x 30in. (45.8 x 76.2cm.) Provenance: The Navy League. Bonhams London: Marine Paintings and Works of Art, 11 January 2001, lot 125. Illustrated: "The Navy", April 1943. Saleroom Notice: This is oil on canvas laid to board, not as stated in the printed catalogue. Additionally, this is depicting Falmouth, not Portsmouth as stated in the printed catalogue. Mounted, framed and glazed 28 x 39in.
Charles Miller Ltd
Jun. 30, 2026
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) H.M. Light Cruiser 'Penelope' making smoke whilst under heavy fire, escorting a Malta convoy led by Admiral Vian, 1942
Est: £1,000 - £1,500
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) H.M. Light Cruiser 'Penelope' making smoke whilst under heavy fire, escorting a Malta convoy led by Admiral Vian, 1942 Signed ‘Chas Pears’ (lower left) Oil on canvas 19½ x 29½in. (49.5 x 75cm.) Provenance: Sotheby's London: The Marine Sale, 25 September 2001, lot 134. A larger and expanded version of this work is held by the Imperial War Museum, London (ID: IWM ART LD 2175). Framed 26 x 36in. Relined, minor retouching in sky
Charles Miller Ltd
Jun. 30, 2026
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) The Pool of London with a view of Tower Bridge during Docklands Air Raids in the Blitz of December 1940
Est: £2,500 - £3,500
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) The Pool of London with a view of Tower Bridge during Docklands Air Raids in the Blitz of December 1940 Signed ‘Chas Pears’ (lower left) Oil on paper laid to board 14½ x 24in. (36.8 x 61cm.) Provenance: The Navy League, February 1941. Bonhams London: The Marine Sale, 14 September 2004, lot 94. A similar but larger version of this picture is held in the collection of the Guildhall Art Gallery, City of London (ID; 1563). Framed 22 x 31in. Some retouching to water
Charles Miller Ltd
Jun. 30, 2026
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) A squadron of Dreadnoughts in the Solent at dusk
Est: £6,000 - £8,000
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) A squadron of Dreadnoughts in the Solent at dusk Signed ‘Charles Pears’ (lower left) Oil on canvas 39½ x 59½in. (100 x 151cm.) Scattered retouching to sky, relined Framed 46½ x 66½in.
Charles Miller Ltd
Jun. 30, 2026
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) Work aloft - Reefing sails
Est: £1,000 - £1,500
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) Work aloft - Reefing sails Signed ‘Chas Pears’ (lower left) Oil on board 13 x 21¾in. (33 x 55.2cm.) Provenance: With the Royal Exchange Art Gallery, London. Framed 20 x 28in. Fine overall condition.
Charles Miller Ltd
Jun. 30, 2026
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) The S.V. ‘Cromdale’ passing Dover at dusk
Est: £2,000 - £3,000
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) The S.V. ‘Cromdale’ passing Dover at dusk Signed ‘Chas Pears' (lower left) Oil on canvas 24 x 43½in. (61 x 110.5cm.) Provenance: With the Royal Exchange Art Gallery, London. The Cromdale was a fine 1,903 ton steel full-rigged ship, built in 1891 by Barclay, Curle & Co. On the 23rd May 1913, she was in passage between Taltal, Chile, and Fowey with a cargo of nitrates when she ran aground and badly holed in thick fog at Bass Point off the Lizard, Cornwall. There were no casualties, and within one week, the vessel had broken up. framed 29 x 49in. Fine overall condition
Charles Miller Ltd
Jun. 30, 2026
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) The Needles by Moonlight
Est: £1,500 - £2,500
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) The Needles by moonlight Signed ‘Chas Pears’ (lower left) Oil on canvas 19½ x 33in. (49.5 x 84cm.) Provenance: Dreweatt-Neate: Pictures & Books, 26 January 2005, lot 177. Woolley & Wallis: Paintings Including a Large Private Collection of Marine Paintings, 5 June 2013, lot 323. With the Rountree Tryon Gallery, London. Framed 28 x 41½in. Minor scattered retouching in sky
Charles Miller Ltd
Jun. 30, 2026
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) A four-masted barque passing St. Anthony Head lighthouse enroute to Falmouth, Cornwall
Est: £1,500 - £2,500
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) A four-masted barque passing St. Anthony Head lighthouse enroute to Falmouth, Cornwall Signed ‘Chas Pears’ (lower left) Oil on canvas 19½ x 29½in. (49.5 x 75cm.) Provenance: Sotheby's London: Marine Pictures and Nautical Works of Art, 30 May 1990, lot 263. Framed 25 x 35in. Light retouching in margins, otherwise good condition
Charles Miller Ltd
Jun. 30, 2026
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) Charles Pears at the wheel of his yawl 'Wanderer' with his wife ahead of him in 'Juanita'
Est: £2,000 - £3,000
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) Charles Pears at the tiller of his yawl 'Wanderer' with his wife ahead of him in 'Juanita' Signed ‘Chas Pears’ (lower left) Oil on board 15 x 20½in. (38 x 52cm.) Provenance: Bonhams London: The Marine Sale, 22 March 2011, lot 190. Framed 22 x 28in. Good overall condition
Charles Miller Ltd
Nov. 27, 2025
Pears, Charles (1873-1958). Transport by Sea.
Est: €150 - €250
Pears, Charles (1873-1958). Transport by Sea. Lot of 4 (of 6) lithographs, each 35,5x46 cm., 1x signed "Chas Pears 1917" on the stone. = Edition of 200. Part of the larger series The Great War: Britain’s Efforts and Ideals. The complete series comprised of 66 lithographs by various artists.
Bubb > Kuyper: Auctioneers of Books, Fine Arts & Manuscripts
Oct. 15, 2025
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) The Wolf Rock Lighthouse with shipping in the distance
Est: £1,000 - £1,500
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) The Wolf Rock Lighthouse with shipping in the distance signed 'Chas PEARS' (lower left) oil on canvas 42.2 x 66.7cm (16 5/8 x 26 1/4in).
Bonhams
Jun. 21, 2025
Poster by Charles Pears (1873-1958) - Orient Line between England and Australia R.M.S. "Orcades"
Est: €100 - €160
Orient Line between England and Australia R.M.S. "Orcades" - 80x60 incl. original frame, ca. ca. 1937 by Charles Pears (1873-1958)
Van Sabben Poster Auctions
May. 22, 2025
Pears, Charles (1873-1958). Transport by Sea.
Est: €250 - €350
Pears, Charles (1873-1958). Transport by Sea. Lot of 4 (of 6) lithographs, each 35,5x46 cm., 1x signed "Chas Pears 1917" on the stone. = Edition of 200. Part of the larger series The Great War: Britain’s Efforts and Ideals. The complete series comprised of 66 lithographs by various artists.
Bubb > Kuyper: Auctioneers of Books, Fine Arts & Manuscripts
May. 14, 2025
▲ Charles Pears (1873-1958)
Est: £600 - £800
▲ Charles Pears (1873-1958) Santa Catalina, Palma signed 'CHAS. PEARS' and inscribed l.l., oil on canvas laid on board 43 x 51cm Condition Report: Framed: 64 x 71cm Pinhole to the upper edge, centre right. A light scratch with small abrasions to the sky in the upper left. A tiny loss and a little rubbing in the upper right corner. Light surface dirt. Not examined under UV light, for a full report please contact the department.
Sworders
Mar. 26, 2025
§ Charles Pears RI ROI RSMA (British, 1873-1958)
Est: £1,000 - £2,000
§ Charles Pears RI ROI RSMA (British, 1873-1958) Shipping with a headland beyond signed 'CHAS PEARS' (lower right) oil on canvas 70 x 125cm
Cheffins
Nov. 07, 2024
PEARS, Charles (1873–1958). [Southampton Docks]. 1930. Colo...
Est: $250 - $350
PEARS, Charles (1873–1958). [Southampton Docks]. 1930. Color stone lithograph poster depicting passenger steamships. The outer text trimmed away; central image only. Framed. Image 28 x 43”; frame 33 ¾ x 48 ¾”. Several closed tears with inpainting along the lower edge. Scattered minor staining. Not examined out of frame.
Potter & Potter Auctions Inc.
Oct. 19, 2024
Original c. 1930s British Southend Travel Poster Pears
Est: $500 - $600
Pears, Charles 1873 - 1958 Southend Lithograph ca. 1930 36.2 x 20.4 in. (92 x 52 cm) Printer: oV (trimmed) Condition Details: (B) on linen (old), margins trimmed, small tears and minor creasing and staining, mostly at the edges#UK #Travel
PosterConnection Inc.
Jul. 11, 2024
Morecambe.
Est: $1,400 - $1,700
ARTIST: CHARLES PEARS (1873-1958) SIZE: 47 1/8 x 38 3/4 in./119.8 x 98.6 cm PRINTER: McCorquodale & Co., London DESCRIPTION: This is one of a series of British railway posters by the well-known English landscape painter. The woman is surrounded by a flock of birds, convincing us that this is indeed “Britain’s Bonniest Bay.” (Art Deco; Travel; Animals)
Poster Auctions International Inc
Apr. 24, 2024
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) A luffing match at Lymington
Est: £700 - £1,000
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) A luffing match at Lymington signed 'CHAS.PEARS' (lower left); bears inscription 'A luffing match at Lymington/by Chas Pears' (verso) oil on board 33.4 x 67.3cm (13 1/8 x 26 1/2in).
Bonhams
Apr. 23, 2024
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) - JAPANESE BATTLESHIPS 'FUSO' & 'YAMISHIRO' OFF SOUTH AMERICA
Est: £1,500 - £2,500
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) - JAPANESE BATTLESHIPS 'FUSO' & 'YAMISHIRO' OFF SOUTH AMERICA δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) Japanese Battleships 'Fuso' & 'Yamishiro' off South America Signed 'Chas Pears' (lower left) Oil on board 12 x 21¾in. (30.5 x 55cm.) good overall condition
Charles Miller Ltd
Apr. 23, 2024
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) - A WINDJAMMER OF THE 1920S
Est: £1,000 - £1,500
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) - A WINDJAMMER OF THE 1920S δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) A windjammer of the 1920s Signed 'Chas Pears' (lower right) Oil on canvas 19½ x 24in. (49.5 x 61cm.) in a silver Rowley frame Good overall condition.
Charles Miller Ltd
Apr. 23, 2024
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) - DAYBREAK AFTER A STORM
Est: £1,500 - £2,500
δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) - DAYBREAK AFTER A STORM δ CHARLES PEARS (BRITISH, 1873-1958) Daybreak after a storm Signed 'Chas. Pears' (lower right); artist label to frame Oil on canvas 19½ x 29½in. (49.5 x 75cm.) old relining, generally in good condition
Charles Miller Ltd
Nov. 18, 2023
Poster by Charles Pears - Orient Line between England and Australia R.M.S. "Orcades"
Est: €200 - €400
Orient Line between England and Australia R.M.S. "Orcades" - 80x60 incl. original frame, ca. ca. 1937 by Charles Pears (1873-1958)
Van Sabben Poster Auctions
Oct. 18, 2023
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) Thames sailing barges at dusk
Est: £1,500 - £2,000
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) Thames sailing barges at dusk signed 'CHAS.PEARS' (lower left) oil on canvas 51.4 x 60.9cm (20 1/4 x 24in).
Bonhams
Apr. 26, 2023
Charles Pears (1873 – 1958) Hastings
Est: £1,500 - £2,000
Charles Pears (1873 – 1958) Hastings lithographic poster, 1947, condition A-; backed on linen (40 x 50 in. (102 x 127cm.))
Lyon & Turnbull
Apr. 26, 2023
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) Launching of the Empress of Scotland
Est: £4,000 - £6,000
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) Launching of the Empress of Scotland signed 'CHAS.PEARS' (lower right) oil on canvas 71.1 x 91.5cm (28 x 36in).
Bonhams
Apr. 22, 2023
Advertising Poster Chas Pears Fishing Trawler Fisherman Night Sea
Est: £120 - £240
Original vintage advertising poster by Charles Pears (1873-1958) depicting a night scene of fishing trawlers and fishermen pulling in nets at sea. Poor condition, folds, repaired tears, creasing, staining, some restored paper losses, some restored tears, backed on linen, text ad margins trimmed. Country of issue: UK, designer: Chas Pears, size (cm): 97x146, year of printing: 1930s.
Antikbar Original Vintage Posters
Mar. 14, 2023
Charles Pears RI ROI RSMA, British 1873-1958 - Pilot off the Needles; oil on canvas, signed low
Est: £5,000 - £7,000
Charles Pears RI ROI RSMA, British 1873-1958 - Pilot off the Needles; oil on canvas, signed lower left 'Chas Pears', 79.5 x 112.3 cm (ARR) Provenance: with David Messum, Beaconsfield (according to the label attached to the reverse); the Estate of the late David Cornwell, best-known as the author John Le Carré Note: works by the artist are in the Imperial War Museum, National Maritime Museum and the National Museum of Wales. He was an Official War Artist for the Admiralty in the First World War.
Roseberys
Feb. 11, 2023
Poster by Charles Pears - Without text (Southend-on-Sea by Underground LMS & LNE Railways)
Est: €180 - €500
Without text (Southend-on-Sea by Underground LMS & LNE Railways) - 62,5x74, 1932, on linen, text part missing by Charles Pears (1873-1958)
Van Sabben Poster Auctions
Jul. 16, 2022
Poster by Charles Pears - Orient Line between England and Australia R.M.S. "Orcades"
Est: €280 - €600
Orient Line between England and Australia R.M.S. "Orcades" - 80x60 incl. original frame, ca. ca. 1937 by Charles Pears (1873-1958)
Van Sabben Poster Auctions
Mar. 02, 2022
After Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) THE FILM-LOVER TRAVELS UNDERGROUND
Est: £150 - £250
After Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) THE FILM-LOVER TRAVELS UNDERGROUND Lithograph in colours, 1930, on wove paper, printed later, signed by Sir Michael Caine on the reverse of the frame, framed Sheet 100 x 62cm (39½ x 24½in) For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Oct. 06, 2021
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) A cutter in a heavy swell, a four-masted barque beyond
Est: £2,000 - £3,000
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) A cutter in a heavy swell, a four-masted barque beyond signed 'Chas.PEARS' (lower left) oil on canvas 50.5 x 61cm (19 7/8 x 24in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Sep. 28, 2021
Charles Pears (1873-1958), Salvaging the wreck, Oil on canvas, 57 x 38cm.
Est: £1,500 - £2,000
§ Charles Pears (1873-1958) Salvaging the wreck Oil on canvas Signed
Gorringes
Jul. 20, 2021
The Isle of Man. ca. 1955.
Est: $3,000 - $4,000
ARTIST: CHARLES PEARS (1873-1958) SIZE: 44 1/2 x 39 1/2 in./125.7 x 100.4 cm PRINTER: Stafford & Co., Great Britain DESCRIPTION: A joyously leaping woman with a colorful beach ball promises lots of seaside pleasure on the Isle of Man, midway between England and Ireland. Pears was a maritime painter, an Official Naval Artist in both the First and Second World Wars, and between the wars, he was a favorite posterist of the British railways and the London Underground. (Modern; Travel; Railway)
Poster Auctions International Inc
Dec. 08, 2020
§ Charles Pears (1873-1958) Sail barge and clipper at sea 20 x 30in.
Est: £1,800 - £2,500
§ Charles Pears (1873-1958) oil on canvas Sail barge and clipper at sea signed 20 x 30in.
Gorringes
Nov. 15, 2020
The Isle of Man. ca. 1955.
Est: $4,000 - $5,000
ARTIST: CHARLES PEARS (1873-1958) SIZE: 44 1/2 x 39 1/2 in./125.7 x 100.4 cm PRINTER: Stafford & Co., Great Britain DESCRIPTION: A joyously leaping woman with a colorful beach ball promises lots of seaside pleasure on the Isle of Man, midway between England and Ireland. Pears was a maritime painter, an Official Naval Artist in both the First and Second World Wars, and between the wars, he was a favorite posterist of the British railways and the London Underground. (Modern; Travel; Railway; British Travel)
Poster Auctions International Inc
Nov. 15, 2020
Great Yarmouth & Gorleston-on-Sea. ca. 1935.
Est: $7,000 - $9,000
ARTIST: CHARLES PEARS (1873-1958) SIZE: 49 1/4 x 39 5/8 in./125 x 100.7 cm PRINTER: Jordison, London DESCRIPTION: To advertise beach side getaways in Norfolk, Pears keeps it simpleand stunning. The unimpeded ocean-meets-clouds backdrop allows this bathing beauty in her very modern swimsuit to take central focus. Swimming and sunbathing became popular British pastimes in the 1920s and '30s, and bathing suits evolved with figure-hugging materials and more revealing cuts for movability and better tanning potential. Ladies like this one became iconic symbols of British seaside resorts and modern recreation activities. Rare! (Art Deco; Travel; Railway; British Travel)
Poster Auctions International Inc
Nov. 11, 2020
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) Salvaging the Wreck
Est: £2,000 - £3,000
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) Salvaging the Wreck signed 'CHAS. PEARS.' (lower left) oil on canvas 58.7 x 40cm (23 1/8 x 15 3/4in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
May. 26, 2020
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) Busy Southsea Beach and Pier, Portsmouth, with the Southern Railway paddle steamer Ryde preparing to depart
Est: £10,000 - £15,000
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) Busy Southsea Beach and Pier, Portsmouth, with the Southern Railway paddle steamer Ryde preparing to depart signed 'CHAS PEARS' (lower left) oil on canvas 77.5 x 121.6cm (30 1/2 x 47 7/8in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
May. 26, 2020
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) Overdue (bears inscription with title on canvas verso)
Est: £1,000 - £1,500
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) Overdue signed 'Chas.PEARS' (lower left) oil on canvas 51.1 x 61cm (20 1/8 x 24in). bears inscription with title on canvas verso For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Oct. 29, 2019
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) Sailing in open waters with a barque on the horizon
Est: £2,000 - £3,000
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) Sailing in open waters with a barque on the horizon signed 'Chas. PEARS' (lower left) oil on canvas 51 x 76.5cm (20 1/16 x 30 1/8in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Aug. 07, 2019
CHARLES PEARS (1873-1958). RAMSGATE. 1926. 40x49 inches, 101x124 cm. Waterlow & Sons, London.
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
CHARLES PEARS (1873-1958) RAMSGATE. 1926. 40x49 inches, 101 1/2x124 1/2 cm. Waterlow & Sons, London. Condition B+: repaired tears and restoration in margins; creases and abrasions in image.
Swann Auction Galleries
May. 01, 2019
AR Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) The Evacuation of St Nazaire, 17th June 1940
Est: £12,000 - £18,000
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) The Evacuation of St Nazaire, 17th June 1940 signed 'Chas PEARS' (lower right)oil on canvas80 x 113cm (31 1/2 x 44 1/2in). Named for one of the Hebridean Islands, Oronsay was the second of five identical sisters ordered for the Orient Line's premier Australian passenger service in a post-War rebuilding programme begun in the early 1920s. Laid down in John Brown's yards on the Clyde, she was launched on 14th August 1924 and completed for sea on 14th January 1925. Registered at 20,001 tons gross, she measured 659 feet in length with a 75 foot beam and had accommodation in two classes for about 1,850 passengers, fitted with twin screws driven by geared turbines powered from oil-fired boilers, she was a handsome and well-appointed ship destined to prove very popular with the travelling public. Following successful sea trials in the Firth of Clyde, she left Tilbury on her maiden voyage to Brisbane on 7th February and thereafter maintained an unblemished regular service to Australia for the ensuing fourteen years.Departing Tilbury on 26th 1939, she was eight days out and into the Mediterranean when War was declared on 3rd September, the immediate result of which was that she was well clear of Suez before her captain once again allowed any visible lights after dark. After returning home in early December, she made only one more round-trip before being requisitioned as a troop transport on 6th April 1940. Modified to carry an additional 1,274 persons, she was first involved in evacuating troops after the disastrous campaign in Norway and finally returned to Gourock, on the Clyde, on 12th June 1940. Two days later, in company with her sister Otranto and another Orient liner, the Ormonde, she sailed for St. Nazaire, on the Atlantic coast of France, to assist with the evacuation of Allied troops in danger of being trapped by rapidly advancing German forces. Oronsay arrived at St. Nazaire early on 17th June and began embarking troops immediately; several hours later, at 1.48pm, she (and the other ships standing off the port) came under heavy air attack during which she was hit several times, including a direct hit on her chartroom which not only destroyed everything in it, but all her internal communication equipment, as well as her radio.Not so fortunate was another transport, the Cunard liner Lancastria, lying nearby and also embarking troops in large numbers. Just as she was about to weigh anchor in the Charpentier Roads, she too came under attack from German bombers. During the third wave, she was hit by a string of four bombs, one of which penetrated the engine room and caused a massive explosion. An immediate list allowed the launching of only two lifeboats and, after about twenty minutes, the doomed vessel rolled over and sank. Approximately 2,500 men were rescued by small craft and many of them were transferred into Oronsay before she departed the scene. The actual death toll on the Lancastria has never been confirmed however, and whilst a minimum of 3,000 seems certain, it has been suggested that it could even have been as high as 6,500. Ruthlessly censored at the time, the full horror of the incident was not revealed until well after the end of the War and whatever the total number of deaths, it was and remains the worst maritime disaster in British history.As for the Oronsay, her master, Captain Nicholls, somehow got her back to Plymouth safely "with the aid of a French motoring map and a penny ruler" as he had no navigational instruments or charts, all of which had been lost in her wrecked chartroom. After repairs, she then resumed her wartime duties but was torpedoed and sunk by the Italian submarine Archimede off West Africa on 9th October 1942. Fortunately running empty on that occasion, most of her crew were saved and only five lives were lost.This superbly atmospheric painting, and one of the very few images in existence of the sinking Lancastria, depicts an incident within the wider operations lasting from 10th - 25th June 1940 which, whilst greatly overshadowed by the epic evacuation of troops from the beaches at Dunkirk, was nevertheless hugely significant in itself and saved just over 215,000 servicemen and civilians from German imprisonment.Charles Pears established himself illustrating for periodicals before becoming a prolific poster artist during the inter-war period, which included working with London Underground, the Empire Marketing Board and various rail companies. A keen yachtsman, the sea inspired much of his output and eventually led him to become the first President of the (Royal) Society of Marine Artists in 1939. His vast knowledge of ships and high degree of technical precision made him an ideal appointment as a war artist with the government seeking accurate records during wartime. In the First World War he held a commission in the Royal Marines and was an official war artist to the Admiralty, before working for the War Artists' Commission during the Second World War. Examples from these periods seldom appear on the market as the majority are part of the Imperial War Museum and National Maritime Museum collections. Typical of all Charles Pears' works, 'The Evacuation from St. Nazaire' combines the unique stylised charm and meticulous detail he is renowned for. The scene successfully captures the drama and tension of the event, as the viewer is placed as if in a boat edging closer to the action. Owing to the government's decision not to publicise the event and Pears' official role at the time, this is certainly an extremely rare and important historical document of a major event at the start of the Second World War.
Bonhams
May. 01, 2019
AR Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) Open water
Est: £1,200 - £1,800
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) Open water signed 'Chas PEARS' (lower left)oil on canvas51 x 76.5cm (20 1/16 x 30 1/8in).
Bonhams
May. 01, 2019
AR TP Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) Mauretania
Est: £15,000 - £20,000
Charles Pears, RSMA (British, 1873-1958) Mauretania signed 'Chas PEARS' (lower left)oil on canvas239 x 364cm (94 1/8 x 143 5/16in). Of all the great liners that once plied the North Atlantic, the Mauretania was perhaps the most famous. Conceived with her equally celebrated sister ship Lusitania, the two ships were built as a British response to the increasing threat to Cunard's domination of the transatlantic passenger trade posed by the brash White Star Line which, in 1901, had passed into American ownership. Mauretania, at 31,938 tons, was launched on 20th September 1906 and was ready for trials exactly a year later. Her builders, Swan Hunter, handed her over to Cunard on 7th November 1907 and she sailed from Liverpool on her maiden voyage to New York on 16th November. On the return passage, she established a new record for the eastward crossing with an average speed of 23.69 knots, amply justifying the faith that had been placed in her giant turbine engines. In May 1908 she broke the record for the westbound crossing, only losing it to her sister a few months later. Regaining it in September 1909, when her average speed on the westward passage reached 26.06 knots, this new record was to stand for a remarkable twenty years until broken by the German liner Bremen.Financed by a Government loan like her sister, Mauretania was requisitioned for war service in 1914 and operated as both a troop transport and a hospital ship. Eventually released in May 1919, she resumed peacetime sailings only for them to be interrupted in July 1921 when she was severely damaged by fire whilst at Southampton. Repaired, remodelled and converted to oil-firing, she returned to service in March 1922 and once again set new speed records which averaged 25.5 knots. Despite her advancing age, she was rapidly becoming an institution among the travelling public and became a living legend as the 1920s drew to a close. When she eventually lost the 'Blue Riband' to the Bremen in July 1929, she took up the challenge to recover it immediately with her fastest-ever crossings over the measured distance. Her average speed on the homeward run of 27.2 knots narrowly failed to catch Bremen's 27.9, but it was an astonishing achievement for the twenty-two year old veteran against the new German contender. In 1930, against a background of deteriorating economic conditions, she was withdrawn from the North Atlantic and put onto cruising. In May 1933, her hull was painted white to reflect this new rôle but she only survived two more years until sold for scrapping in 1935. The public mourned her as affectionately as they had honoured her in her prime. She had won for herself a place in maritime history such as no other steamship had ever done and it was not in the least surprising that even long after she had been broken up, she was still commonly known as "The Grand Old Lady of the Atlantic".
Bonhams
Nov. 20, 2018
Charles Pears (1873-1958) - The Playgoer Travels Underground
Est: £1,000 - £1,500
Charles Pears (1873-1958) The Playgoer Travels Underground 39 ½ x 24 ½ in. (100 x 62 cm.) (15)
Christie's
Oct. 25, 2018
CHARLES PEARS (1873-1958). BRIGHTON AND HOVE. 1935. 39x49 inches, 99x125 cm. Waterlow & Sons Ltd., London.
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
CHARLES PEARS (1873-1958) BRIGHTON AND HOVE. 1935. 39x49 1/2 inches, 99x125 3/4 cm. Waterlow & Sons Ltd., London. Condition B+: foxing in text; creases in margins and image; minor restoration along vertical fold; repaired pin holes at corners and edges. Matted and framed. A kayaker's view of the Brighton Pier and the Palace at the far end. It is an unusual point-of-view in that the water takes up half of the image and the sky the other half, while all of the detailed buildings along the shore are depicted only in the distance. Furness vol. 5, p. 140, Art for All, p. 161.
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