More than 40 paintings by Danish artist Susanne Fournais Grube of boats she has loved will go on display at the Osborne Studio Gallery in London between 7 October and 13 October.

Wife of the Danish Ambassador, she was elected Official Belgian Marine Painter in 2004 and is allowed to sign her work with an anchor. She has exhibited every year at the Musee de la Marine in Paris. “On her many travels around the world, she almost prefers the voyage and the vessel that brought her safely ashore to the destination itself,” the gallery said in a statement.

Geoffrey Hughes, director of the Osborne Studio Gallery, said he was attracted by a quality in her art which he described as “charming naivety”.

“Each boat is painted as an individual portrait of a vessel, either for beautiful lines or as a piece of glorious history. Susanne’s skilful draughtsmanship and sensitive understanding of the boats of her choice, or commissions, were recognised  by the title‚ ‘Official Belgian Marine Painter’ in 2004.  There are 20 in Belgium, about 40 in France, allowed to sign their work with an anchor.  Once a year they exhibit their work at the superb Musee de la Marine in Paris,” he said.

Highlights of Susanne Fournais Grube’s collection:

Dannebrog, the Queen of Denmark’s ship, “pride and joy” Susanne explains, of King Frederik IX, her father, the nation’s most beloved sailor-king

Farewell QE2, the “most beautiful cruise ship ever built”

Kelvin Bank, Liberty ship from World War 2, courageous merchant vessel built in America to help the British war effort

Kaskalot, one of the last remaining tall ships, a three-masted barque built in Denmark, now converted into a luxury yacht for hire

Bovberg, a lighthouse guiding ships to safe harbour

Sofiero, her tribute to the perfect design of the modest wooden rowing boat, unchanged for millennia.

Grube is married to the Danish Ambassador at the Court of St James’s. She lives in a house built and furnished by Arne Jacobsen, one of the most important  modernist architects and designers of the 20th century, combining her diplomatic responsibilities with life as an artist, true to her distinctive, original vision.

She was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to a military family living at The Citadel near the port. Devoted to her sketchbooks from early childhood, and longing for adventure, she could feed her imagination on the ships in the harbour, from ocean liners to fishing boats. Largely self-taught, she started with gouache, progressing to acrylic for large-scale paintings.