This is the second part of the story of the making of the
Cumberland painting. With all this background information, I
began visualizing the scene with some small color sketches in
oil of various possible viewpoints and compositions. The crucial
moment, it seemed to me, was when both ships were firing on each
other at close quarters, even as the Cumberland filled with
water. Some of the men were trapped below decks. One man was
seen trying to escape from a gunport and was swept back inside
by the power of the water. Others scrambled into the rigging.
Many jumped overboard and either were drowned or were rescued by
the lifeboats. Several accounts noted that the day was beautiful
and clear, which presented a problem if I wanted to make the
scene appear dramatic. One of the four sketches is painted in a
limited color range, resembling the sepia photos of the time.
Historians and re-enactors told me that there would have been a
tremendous amount of smoke and steam. I worked up a small
comprehensive sketch in oil