Satirical caricaturist ‘par excellence’, Gerald Scarfe, joins Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Vistas programme

As part of its growing cruise enhancement programme, Vistas, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is delighted to announce that the artist and satirical cartoonist, Gerald Scarfe, CBE, RDI, will be joiningBraemar’s cruise, M1208, to the Atlantic Islands.

Best known for his biting and highly individual political cartoons, as well as his collaboration with Pink Floyd on their epic production of The Wall, Gerald Scarfe was born in St. John’s Wood, North London, in 1936. It was partly due to the long hours he spent recovering from bouts of severe asthma as a child that he started to draw and create models. In 1952, he won an art competition organised by the boys’ paper, Eagle, pipping David Hockney to the runners-up spot! Clearly talented, but lacking in formal education, he left school at 16 and started work in a commercial art studio. Around this time, he also started to attend Saint Martins School of Art in the evenings, to learn life drawing and hone his skills.

Drawing cartoons for national newspapers and magazines, including the Daily Sketch, Evening Standard and Punch magazine, Gerald soon became successful enough to start a freelance career. As one of the early contributors to Private Eye, it was the comedian Willie Rushton who advised him to start drawing politicians, which led to some of his most famous work.

Gerald started working for The Sunday Times in 1967, and here his reputation as an uncompromising depicter of politicians really developed. His work is also familiar from the opening credits of the ‘80s TV series, ‘Yes Minister’ and ‘Yes, Prime Minister’. From drawing, he moved into creating papier-mâché models of politicians, and gradually into television, film and other areas of the arts.

Gerald was awarded the distinction of ‘Royal Designer for Industry’ in 1989, in recognition of his talents as an illustrator. He was then awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2008, remarking: “I am pleased, but surprised, since I’ve spent so much of my professional life being rude to people.”

Gerald lives in Chelsea, with his wife Jane Asher, the actress and celebrity cake-maker. Coincidentally, a Jane Asher cake featured in a recent Fred. Olsen cruise, when ‘Delicious Death’ – a chocolate cake based on a recipe from an Agatha Christie novel – was served with afternoon tea, as part of a Christie-themed Vistas cruise. 

Gerald will be hosting a ‘Drawing’ theme on board Braemar's M1208 cruise to the Atlantic Islands, a 14-night cruise that departs from Dover on 14^th April 2012, calling first at Lisbon (Portugal). The cruise then visits the islands of Lanzarote, Tenerife and La Palma in the Canaries, and two ports in the Azores, Praia da Vitoria and Ponta Delgada, before returning to Dover. Prices start from £1,429 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside twin cabin, Grade ‘I’, and includes accommodation, all meals and entertainment on board, and port taxes. There is no extra charge for taking part in Gerald’s Vistas workshops.

Find out more about the cruise by visiting the Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ website atwww.fredolsencruises.com You can book online, by calling Reservations on 01473 742424, or through any ABTA travel agent.