Adventure on the High Seas
Oswald Brett’s remarkable life and work now in print
“This is a story you’ll find vibrant with the tang of salt air and the call of new horizons as seen by an artist who’s really been there.”
– Peter Stanford, Professor Emeritus, National Maritime Historical Society, New York
World-renowned maritime artist Oswald Brett has spent a lifetime painting the world’s most famous ships and the oceans they explored. Oswald grew up in Depression-era Sydney and took to the seas, serving aboard the Queen Elizabeth during World War II. Now for the first time he tells his incredible life story, accompanied by much of his best work. He follows in the tradition of intrepid Australian artists, travelling the world and honing his craft.
Regarded as a rarity in the marine art world for his profound personal knowledge of both ships and the sea, ‘Os’ spent much of his life seeing first-hand the relationship between wind, sea, and marine craft.
Today his works form part of the world’s major collections, including the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, the White House in Washington, and the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
The fabulously illustrated book features such celebrated vessels as The Golden Hind, James Craig, Endeavour,the First Fleet, Queen Elizabeth, Cutty Sark, Bounty, Bismarck and many more. It also includes paintings and anecdotes from other great artists whom Oswald met along the way, such as John Allcot, Charles Pears, Anton Otto Fischer and Charles Robert Patterson.
Hardback, RRP $69.95