Arthur JT Briscoe RE RI
1873 - 1943 Painter and etcher, born in Chester the son of a cotton broker. Studied at Slade Art School in London and at the Academy Julian in Paris and then spent the rest of his time sailing, becoming one of the most prominent British marine artists of the 20th century. He owned his own three-ton cutter which he used to sail around the Essex coast. Also crewing on a Polish ship, he sketched every aspect of life on the boat. Most of Briscoe's etchings show sailing ships and the men who sailed them. His beautifully etched images present an invaluable historical record of the workings of the last great commercial vessels.