“I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book,” wrote J.K. Rowling, British author and creator of the popular Harry Potter series. Although published long ago, the following sea books (in PDF format) have not lost their magic.
New York Harbor’s allure stems not only from its size or beauty. The harbor also has a long and rich maritime history.
The waterfront has an atmosphere like no other. The coming and going of ships, the movement of machines on the wharves, the sounds of seagulls and salt water—all evoke a feeling of energy. But above all it is the grit and brawn of stevedores (pictured above) that give the place a certain character, a human dimension that is more interesting than machines.
Artworks depicting people who are cast ashore after a storm or shipwreck can be very moving. They are reminders, not only of the indifferent power of the sea, but of the vicissitudes of life and the human struggle. The following are five such works that tug at the heartstrings.
The world continues to be assailed by the sounds and images of war–the genocide in Gaza, the fighting in Ukraine. It can be too much to take in. What better time to gaze at the paintings of Venus? She was the Roman goddess associated with love, beauty and fertily—the very opposite of all that war stands for.
Paintings of women in boats wearing vintage dresses fascinate me. Is it the way the women maintain their poise while out on the water? Is it the flow of their garments in sync with the gentle ripples of the river or lake?
Born in Paris to British parents, Alfred Sisley belonged to the group of artists that started French Impressionism in the 19th century. His work, however, has not received the universal attention that it deserves. The New York Times dubbed him in a 1999 article “The Invisible Man of Impressionism”.
Rain has a special significance for the Japanese, so much so that they have at least 50 words for it. Rain also features in many Japanese woodblock prints and paintings. Such works not only celebrate the beauty of rain. They reflect the way the Japanese regard nature and everything in the universe.
Paintings of the pilot boats of yesteryear can be a great visual delight. The grace and energy of these small sailing vessels as they brave the waves make one think of a ballet at sea. Such artworks, however, are also a reminder of the challenges and dangers faced by maritime pilots even today as they perform their duties.
Anita Malfatti occupies a special place in the history of Brazilian art. She was the first Brazilian painter to introduce Modernism to Brazil. In a country so used to old forms of realistic art, she ushered in the brave new world of Expressionism, defined by Tate UK as “art in which the image of reality is distorted in order to make it expessive of the artist’s inner feelings or ideas”.
The Titan submersible that imploded on 18th June 2023, killing all five of its passengers, has led to voluminous talk about what exactly happened and why. While many of the published accounts are interesting, I wanted to get a different perspective on the mishap. And what better source for this than Frankie?
Art depicting mother and child is ubiquitous. Understandably so. Mothers should be praised and honoured for the many sacrifices they make for their children. Artworks with a father-and-child motif are much less common even though fathers often exert a great deal of influence on their offsprings. Indeed, the ones with the sea as backdrop are rare.