William Ware, a well-known British landscape painter, was born in London in 1915. He was hired by Greek Line to do the permanent on board murals for their liners OLYMPIA and ARKADIA (ex MONARCH OF BERMUDA). Most of Ware's work on the OLYMPIA survived throughout the ship's long life and was purchased by MidShipCentury when the ship went to Alang for scrapping in 2009. Ware passed away in 1994.



The MV REGAL EMPRESS (ex SS OLYMPIA) was one of the last surviving classic liners in service when she went to Alang in 2009. Her Caribbean Dining Room, originally the Olympian Hall Restaurant, was one of the most beautiful spaces afloat with its polished woods, etched mirrors, marquetry panels of ancient sailing vessels and these dramatic William Ware paintings.



This painting was located in inboard side of the former first class reading room on theport side of OLYMPIA's Upper Deck. It was converted into suites in the ship's CARIBE I refit in 1983 but was left in situ. The inboard reading room bulkhead became the inboard Upper Deck passage bulkhead and this painting, which conformed with the ship's sheer, was on display all the way until the end of REGAL EMPRESS' life. This is a typically pastoral, autumnal Ware countryside/riverbank scene -- I would guess inspired by the flatlands of Great Britain. Minimalist and serene and full of surprises. A masterful work of art.