When Ernest Shackleton set off on his voyage to Antarctica in the old seal trawler Nimbus, the polar explorer had big goals. He wanted to be the first person to reach the South Pole. His rival for victory was Robert Scott. Shackleton was an experienced sailor and had assembled a crew with great care. On board was the official expedition artist George Edward Marston. The studied artist had a close connection to the two sisters of the polar explorer during his training. These are said to have established the contact between Ernest Shackleton and Marston. The artist applied as a member of the expedition and was able to convince with his artistic qualities as well as his fine sense of irony and enigmatic humor. In addition to the task of observing the expedition and recording it in pictures, the artist was also appointed dog handler and driver.
The journey into the southern ice demanded everything from the members of the expedition. Shackleton expressed himself positively about his accompanying artist even under the difficult conditions. Almost admiringly, the polar explorer describes the artistic activity when Marston translated the day into sketches in the artificial light. Marston is described as a person with rough edges, who was characterized by genuineness and high integrity. The artist was never afraid to take on tasks that went beyond observing and depicting. Marston chaperoned rides that were essential to the care of the participants. He sewed soles on boots that had suffered from the long hikes and took on the role of entertainer when the mood of the crew demanded it. Marston was an excellent actor and singer and provided entertainment in solitude.
George Marston illustrated the expedition. His preferred medium was watercolor, which offers a highly respectable performance under the given weather conditions. Shackleton and Marston undertook a second expedition to the South Pole, which met a dramatic end. The Endurance expedition turned into a disaster and Marston was among the few expedition members who were rescued. After his rescue, he returned to England and lived a quiet life surrounded by his family. He devoted several years to teaching at an arts and crafts school and later worked as a consultant for small rural businesses. At the age of not even sixty, the artist died of a heart attack. The works that the artist left behind are unique scenes that show the magic of Antarctica. There are only a few known paintings in which George Marston painted motifs of his native Britain. Famous are his portraits of the polar explorer Shackleton and life in the base camps of the expeditions.
When Ernest Shackleton set off on his voyage to Antarctica in the old seal trawler Nimbus, the polar explorer had big goals. He wanted to be the first person to reach the South Pole. His rival for victory was Robert Scott. Shackleton was an experienced sailor and had assembled a crew with great care. On board was the official expedition artist George Edward Marston. The studied artist had a close connection to the two sisters of the polar explorer during his training. These are said to have established the contact between Ernest Shackleton and Marston. The artist applied as a member of the expedition and was able to convince with his artistic qualities as well as his fine sense of irony and enigmatic humor. In addition to the task of observing the expedition and recording it in pictures, the artist was also appointed dog handler and driver.
The journey into the southern ice demanded everything from the members of the expedition. Shackleton expressed himself positively about his accompanying artist even under the difficult conditions. Almost admiringly, the polar explorer describes the artistic activity when Marston translated the day into sketches in the artificial light. Marston is described as a person with rough edges, who was characterized by genuineness and high integrity. The artist was never afraid to take on tasks that went beyond observing and depicting. Marston chaperoned rides that were essential to the care of the participants. He sewed soles on boots that had suffered from the long hikes and took on the role of entertainer when the mood of the crew demanded it. Marston was an excellent actor and singer and provided entertainment in solitude.
George Marston illustrated the expedition. His preferred medium was watercolor, which offers a highly respectable performance under the given weather conditions. Shackleton and Marston undertook a second expedition to the South Pole, which met a dramatic end. The Endurance expedition turned into a disaster and Marston was among the few expedition members who were rescued. After his rescue, he returned to England and lived a quiet life surrounded by his family. He devoted several years to teaching at an arts and crafts school and later worked as a consultant for small rural businesses. At the age of not even sixty, the artist died of a heart attack. The works that the artist left behind are unique scenes that show the magic of Antarctica. There are only a few known paintings in which George Marston painted motifs of his native Britain. Famous are his portraits of the polar explorer Shackleton and life in the base camps of the expeditions.
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