'Portraits of ships. From the 19th century to the shipspotters' at the Maritime Museum

From June 8, the Maritime Museum of Barcelona exhibits the exhibition Portraits of Ships. From the 19th century to shipspotters. This new, self-produced exhibition proposal invites visitors to take a tour of maritime history through the evolution of ship portraits. The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to remove from the reserve rooms a sample of the collections that the Museum studies and preserves. In total, 104 pieces are part of this selection of such peculiar portraits.

The main objective of this exhibition is to show the evolution of ship portraits since the s. XIX until the s. XXI: how this pictorial genre was adapted to the illustrated press, replaced by photography, merged with graphic design and advertising, until becoming the protagonist of numerous Instagram accounts around the world world The exhibition follows a chronological route and is accompanied by 13 short texts that provide relevant information about the portraits, the artists, the elements that allow a vessel to be identified and technological changes, among other aspects. The space is divided into four areas: the first offers a brief reflection on what a ship portrait is, followed by the areas that comprise the 19th and 20th centuries, and show the various techniques used to make these portraits.

Finally, the contemporary field is presented with shipspotters, ship watchers present in ports around the world, who not only share images, but also technical information about the vessels. The exhibition is curated by M. Teresa Sala, conservator - restorer of the Maritime Museum of Barcelona. The exhibition will be installed in the Shipyards until November 17, 2024 and visiting hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. with general admission to the Museum.