Anyone who has been following Marine Café Blog knows that I frequently talk about seafarers’ rights and marine art. These two subjects are the main courses, as it were, on the menu — the recurring themes that have come to define the tone and character of the blog. But why art in conjunction with the rights of mariners?
Corporate offices cannot be expected to serve as small art galleries. But why should shipping and manning companies display only ISM and MLC certificates on their lobby walls? Why not also marine paintings, even if they are only repros works by famous artists? Some art would help give the premises a more pleasant atmosphere. It would also send a subtle message to visitors that the CEO knows how to appreciate art and is not a certified philistine.
Generally speaking, people tend be more impressed by things that are large than by similar things of smaller scale. Thus, a mansion is likely to draw more attention and plaudits than a bungalow; a limousine more than a compact car; and a cruise ship more than a catamaran. Yet, size does not — or should not — matter when it comes to art.
The curse of climate change is upon the land. Sometimes I dream of snow falling on boats and harbours and all along the coast — a shelter from the torturous heat of the tropics, a wonderland like those depicted in the following artworks.
No applause for them from the shipping press. Nor glowing tributes at fancy awards dinners. Yet, maritime pilots quietly perform work that is nothing short of heroic.
There are those — the Type A personalities usually— who cannot be satisfied with tranquility. They need and crave for action. Some even thrive in conflict. But surely, most humans long for some moment of peace and calmness. The following works of art, I hope, will soothe the spirit of those who seek such moments.
Wouldn’t it be great to see some marine art by Michelangelo? Alas, the man who is held to be one of the greatest artists of all time (pictured above in a portrait by his contemporary, Daniele da Volterra) did not paint seascapes.
I have never travelled to Venice. But thanks to the power of art, I feel that I have been there many times and navigated its canals on board a gondola and walked across the famous Rialto Bridge. The paintings and etchings shown below depict the Venice of old. This was...
The sea captivates. The sea by moonlight captivates even more. It can mesmerise. Alas, those who do not sail or live near the seashore may not have the opportunity to behold the beauty and grandeur of a moonlit seascape. For the delight of such unlucky souls, I am...
I do not celebrate Halloween. Nor do I believe in ghosts, which are said to be abroad at this time of the year. Even so, I find it fascinating how ghosts have floated from ancient folklore and mythology into the sphere of pop culture. They have become part of the...
Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea has been universally praised since its publication in 1952. A review which came out that year in The New York Times said of the short novel: The excitement and tension of the old man's adventure, the magnificence of the great...
The art world has not run out of praise for the 19th-century German painter, Caspar David Friedrich (shown in the above inset, a portrait by fellow German artist Gerhard von Kügelgen). Perhaps it never will. Peter Schjeldahl, art critic of The New Yorker magazine, had...