Nicholas Pocock

Nicholas Pocock (2 March 1740 – 9 March 1821) was an English artist known for his many detailed paintings of

.

Birth and early career at sea

Pocock was born in Bristol in 1740, the son of a seaman.^[1] He followed his father's profession and was master of a merchant ship by the age of 26. During his time at sea, he became a skilled artist by making ink-and-wash sketches of ships and coastal scenes for his logbooks.

Painting career

In 1778, Pocock's employer,

Later that year, Pocock was commissioned to produce a series of paintings illustrating

King George

.

Pocock's naval paintings incorporated extensive research, including interviewing eyewitnesses about weather and wind conditions as well as the positions, condition, and appearance of their ships, and drawing detailed plans of the battle and preliminary sketches of individual ships. He was also present himself at the Glorious First of June in 1794, on board the frigate HMS Pegasus.

In addition to his large-scale

of coastal and ship scenes.

Family

Pocock married Ann Evans of Bristol in 1780; together they had eight children. His son Isaac was an artist and dramatist, his second son William Innes Pocock was a Royal Navy Officer and marine artist.^[2] Two of his grandsons, Alfred Downing Fripp and George Arthur Fripp, were also artists.

Death

He died on 9 March 1821 at the home of his oldest son, Isaac, in Raymead in the parish of Cookham, near Maidenhead, and is buried in the parish church there.

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Chatterton, E. Keble (1967). Old Ship Prints. London: Spring Books.
  OCLC 248152337
  .

Further reading

• Cordingly, David (1986). Nicholas Pocock, 1740-1821. London: Conway Press.
  ISBN 0870219936
  .

External links

• 51 artworks by or after Nicholas Pocock at the Art UK site
• Pocock biography
• Another Pocock biography
• Pocock paintings at the National Maritime Museum