Incredibly plenty has been written about the sinking of the Titanic on 15th April 1912. So, rather than repeating the facts that most of the world already knows, I am sharing the following quotes from some of the people who were directly involved. One hundred and eleven years after the disaster, the words still reverberate.
It may not be dramatic like J.M.W. Turner’s famous Fighting Temeraire, but ‘Meditation by the Sea’ is my favourite marine painting. As a writer and observer of the shipping world, I can identify with this work. I even see myself in it.
The important role played by the boatswain (often called “bosun”) cannot be gainsaid. He is the senior crewman of the ship’s deck department — the major-domo, as it were, in charge of planning, scheduling, and assigning work to be carried out by the other deckhands.
Vincent van Gogh left behind more than 1,100 drawings when he died at age 37 on 29 July 1890. Sadly, but not surprisingly, they have been eclipsed by the splendid colours and well-deserved fame of his ‘The Starry Night’ and other oil paintings.
Drawing was a large part of Van Gogh’s artistic life. He put his heart into it, sometimes at great emotional cost. To give his drawings the attention they deserve is to do justice to the man and his legacy.
“He whom the gods love dies young,” wrote the Greek dramatist Menander (342/41–291 BC). Maybe so, but the death of a gifted artist at a relatively young age is still tragic. Who knows what greater things that individual might have accomplished had he or she lived longer?
Canada has a rich legacy of marine art, a fact which should come as no surprise. Water is virtually everywhere in the second largest country after Russia. Canada has the world’s longest coastline (243,042 km) and the world’s largest fresh water area (891,163 sq km). The vastness and grandeur of the Canadian landscape have provided artists with a wellspring of inspiration.
The nautical terms “starboard” and “port” are often a source of confusion for landlubbers, including journalists and writers. It could be, too, for some seafarers. Here are some ways to always remember the difference between these two terms.
Lovers have always been a popular subject in art. Surprisingly, as far as I can tell, there are not many works of art that depict lovers by the sea. The following are five which are so themed.
I can’t get enough of art depicting shipwrecks. I am sure that many readers of Marine Café Blog feel the same way. So, as a sequel to an earlier post (‘Six paintings of shipwrecks that will blow your mind’), here are six more paintings on the subject with my annotations.
Eulogies are not only for dead heroes. Moved by the demise of the HMS Temeraire after a 40-year career, three poets paid tribute to the gallant ship. One was English and the other two were Americans, which goes to show that the Temeraire’s fame extended beyond the shores of Great Britain.
So much has been written about J.M.W. Turner’s ‘The Fighting Temeraire tugged to her last berth to be broken up, 1838’ (pictured above) that another commentary on the subject would seem superfluous. However, I thought I would share my personal thoughts on the best known work of the English Romantic painter. I just find it so intriguing.
The words commonly used to describe classical ballet dancers — agility, speed, lightness, grace — may apply as well to sailboats. Watching the latter glide on the water, their sails resplendent in the sunlight, is like watching a ballet at sea.