Oil painting (framed), showing the smoking peak of the active Antarctic volcano, Mount Erebus, from seaward.
Marston (1882-1940), who had trained at the Regent Street Polytechnic, was one of the first men that Ernest Shackleton engaged as the artist to accompany his 1907-09 Antarctic expedition in the 'Nimrod', of which this picture is a product. In 1908, as the party wintered at Hut Point in McMurdo Sound, Marston also designed and produced the title pages and illustrations for 'Aurora Australis', the publication turned out as a pastime on the printing press Shackleton took with them (a precedent set by 19th-century naval expeditions wintering in the Arctic). Marston was also offical artist on Shackleton's 'Endurance' expedition of 1914-16. Most of his work on that was lost when the ship was abandoned in the epic escape journey which ended on Elephant Island and Shackleton's 800-mile boat voyage on to South Georgia to seek help. Marston (a very practical man, nicknamed 'Putty') was among those later rescued from Elephant Island. The painting is signed 'G. Marston', in capitals, lower right.