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Increasingly, cruise ships are becoming art galleries at sea. At some lines, art reinforces a national identity that it cultivates or emphasizes heritage and tradition. Other lines want to appear contemporary. And some are offering a curated art collection worthy of connoisseurs. ''Eve'' is a large, stainless-steel sculpture on Royal Caribbean International's Anthem of the Seas.

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Art galleries at sea

Increasingly, cruise ships are becoming art galleries at sea. At some lines, art reinforces a national identity that it cultivates or emphasizes heritage and tradition. Other lines want to appear contemporary. And some are offering a curated art collection worthy of connoisseurs. ''Eve'' is a large, stainless-steel sculpture on Royal Caribbean International's Anthem of the Seas. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst

Increasingly, cruise ships are becoming art galleries at sea. At some lines, art reinforces a national identity that it cultivates or emphasizes heritage and tradition. Other lines want to appear contemporary. And some are offering a curated art collection worthy of connoisseurs. ''Eve'' is a large, stainless-steel sculpture on Royal Caribbean International's Anthem of the Seas.

On Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas, ICArt creative director Mariangela Capuzzo selected artwork based on the theme of ''The World We Live In,'' with sculptures that would not seem out of place in a contemporary museum or art gallery. ''Medusa's Shoes'' by John Breed, a collection of legs and shoes kicking in the air, sits outside the ship's Entertainment Place neighborhood.

''Head,'' which was installed on the Harmony of the Seas' indoor promenade, was created by David Cerny, weighs five tons and has motors to move multiple plates on its surface. Capuzzo said the theme is ''pertinent to the world we live in. It's also whimsical.''

Some cruise lines use artwork to set a tone or evoke the feeling of a location. A Tibetan prayer wheel made of cast bronze sits at the entrance to the pan-Asian restaurant on Regent Seven Seas Cruises' Seven Seas Explorer.

Sculptures are popping up in different areas of ships, such as this light sculpture on an elevator landing on Holland America Line's Koningsdam.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Frank Del Rio is very hands-on when it comes to selecting the art for the company's ships. This modern abstract is typical of the art hand-picked by Del Rio for the Explorer.

One level above the pool deck, Royal Caribbean International's Anthem of the Seas features an outdoor sculpture of a giraffe wearing an inner tube.

In ''Sneakers,'' an oil painting on canvas on the Anthem of the Seas, the artist takes an ordinary object out of its context by enlarging it.

This marble sculpture by artist Jaume Plensa is ready to be installed in the Solarium on the Quantum of the Seas.

Dreamscape on the Carnival Vista harkens back to the style of former Carnival designer Joe Farcus.

Nautical decor was typical on the earlier generation of ships, such as Royal Caribbean International's Empress of the Seas.

Pop artist Peter Max signed his hull painting on the Norwegian Breakaway. Norwegian Cruise Line hired other artists to paint other ships' hulls.

''Secret Ocean'' is a video print on a stairwell on the Anthem of the Seas as art is joined with technology.

''Image of Paradise'' by Argentine sculptor Nicolas Leiva is made of aluminum and paint on wood on the Anthem.

Silversea Cruises' Silver Spirit has models of 1962 Riva Aquarama speedboats in its collection.