A local illustrator has received the golden seal of approval from the owners of Titanic Hotel Belfast as they have commissioned him to create a series of artworks honouring the legacy of Harland & Wolff and the monumental efforts of its workers, with the latest commission having been installed in the hotel’s prestigious Drawing Office Two bar.
Belfast man Peter Strain captures the duality of pride and hardship of Belfast’s rich maritime heritage in his creations and speaking of the inspiration for ‘Maiden Voyage’, Peter said: “I used metallic gold watercolour paint on the main print and I’m extremely proud of this creation. I’ve been fortunate to work on another three pieces of art as part of this ongoing series with the fantastic team at Titanic Hotel Belfast. The previous illustrations celebrated the contributions of both Thomas Andrews and Sir Edward Harland, however, I wanted to reflect on the shipyard workers’ key role in Harland and Wolff’s grand and ambitious ventures for this new piece.
“Despite the grandeur of the vessels, many workers endured harsh conditions, low wages and gruelling hours away from their families. Yet, they took huge pride in waving off these magnificent creations on their maiden voyages. In the case of the Titanic, this pride was mixed with a sombre realisation that a ship hailed as ‘unsinkable’ might mask the potential, unavoidable vulnerabilities of any maritime vessel.
“After the tragic sinking, the workers were left with the weight of their contributions to a ship that, despite its promise, met a devastating end. The disaster was a stark reminder of the impermanence of human endeavours and the fragile nature of even the most grandiose achievements.”
Welcoming Peter to officially install ‘Maiden Voyage’, Adrian McNally, General Manager of Titanic Hotel Belfast, praised the illustration’s impact and relevance.
Adrian said: “This depiction of the shipyard worker is absolutely amazing. It’s almost as though the wall in Drawing Office Two was made for this illustration which stands as a tribute to the shipyard workers who played a pivotal role in creating some of the most impressive ocean liners of their time. Peter has an incredible talent and we believe ‘Maiden Voyage’ will evoke many conversations among our visitors about the history of this unique building and the people who worked in harsh conditions but took immense pride in launching magnificent ships.
“The investment in the installation of ‘Maiden Voyage’ marks the most expensive commission in our art collection to date.”
Peter’s collection includes ‘Then and Now’, which celebrates and reflects on the journey and transformation of the shipyard over the last 150 years. ‘Thomas Andrews’ conveys people’s affection and respect for Thomas Andrews and Peter feels that the quote ‘Tommie did all he could to help the passengers’ really captured both that and the dignity of the man. ‘Edward Harland’ commemorates how Edward Harland was attentive to the needs of his ship’s passengers above everything else.
The public can view the illustrations as part of a free Heritage Tour of the hotel. For more information, please visit www.titanichotelbelfast.com or follow the hotel on social media – Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and X.
