Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1908-06-11
A SEA PICTURE CRITIC
He Knew All About Ships and the
Wild Ocean.
ART COMMENTS OF A SAILOR
The death of Nelson" Reminded Him
Of How 'Arkness Come Off the Main
Yard-The Blood Red Sky Without q
Cloud That ForeteIIs a Storm.

Yard-The Blood Red Sky Without a
Cloud That Foreteiis a Storm.
Crude perhaps and curious. the out
tonne of a life apart. sailormen have
ret an appreciation Of the arts. writes
David w. Bone in the Manchester
Guardian.
Once In the Walter gallery | was
looking at THE Death of Nelson
There was a man with the look OF n
seaman standing near. He had slight
smell of drink and was chewing tobac-
co. He. too. was interested In the pic
ture. and recognizing me as seaman
like, he said something. and we got TO
talking about Nelson and his times.
about ships and pictures. "B'gad.
mate. them fellers'' Ohe painters he
meant ''knowed what they was
a-don' Look ut that ere giim" dan
term. Looks as It's trimm:n' was for
Tot wen they brought tn admiral
down. An them eyes" point
ing 10 a wounded seaman I'm the near
foreground. "them's tn eyes o. poor
'Arkness wot come OF tn main yard
las voyage an struck tn fife rsil full
on
He told me OF the accidea-. how II
happened. and by his eyes and rude.
simple speech saw 1t all AS plain be-
fore me as the figure OF the stricken
seaman ! saw 'Arkness come OF The
main yard. clutching wildly AT the
sheets and lifts as he fell heard him
strike the rail with a sickening thud
and lie stretched I saw the running
figures on the deck. and never
iarsted tn nigh. We buried i'm ont
there. Taital II - said my speaker.
involuntarily twisting shoulder to an
imaginary southwest.
There was a sea picture. a ship com
Ing up 10 the Isle OF Wight-clean
curving sails. a good sense OF move
ment and fine. breezy atmosphere.
"Jest wot II is said my friend.
"'omeward bound. Let 'er go. boysr'
a burst of enthusiasm that made some
visitor glance around. alarmed. "'0me-
ward bound II Isl There were other
fine pictures. but we did not feel that
we had a right TO do more than look at
them and admire. With sea pictures II
was different. They were our world.
and who had the right to critlcise the
way a sea was moving OF the sky II
we had not; Too often had we watch
ed. anxious eyed. for a break In the
clouds not TO know the way OF wind
on the water. the scud OF a cloud
breaking free in a welcome shift Well
we knew the curve OF standing sail
and the relation 1t bore TO the sense Of
movement
For a city OF the sea Liverpool has
no great representation OF her fore
most industry on her chamber walls.
Sea pictures have apparently no at
traction for her chiefest citizens. There
I was little call fer sea critics down
stairs. so we went 10 an exhibition of
modern art In the upper galleries
Here we found ourselves properly con-
fronted. Setting Sail After Blow" IT
was. a large canvas. n ship pitching
heavily In the swell OF n recent gale
and the crew putting the canvas on
her. 1t held a great message for my
mate (black smoke and an ever throb-
bling screw had not yet dulled his sea
fancy. He was highly pleased. Them
seas wot We gets OF tn Plate," He
wanted to show some word Of cheer. 10
swing his right hand 10 the left shout
Ter In seamanlike admiration. but the
cold gray eye of a tall hated official
was upon us-"Huh. sailorsr'-and
there was a group of young ladies
near by worshiping at the shrine of
corporation purchase. so he contented
himself by nudging me furiously.
That's wot ] calls picture" he said.
A sunset over water claimed our at
tention A blood red sky with no
clouds. only a slight density near the
horizon. ! said II was remarkable.
perhaps unreal. That's where we
ain't in II, mister. Look a here, II
ye wos L take all tn colors in tn lock-
ar SOS We 'ad lots o. red an yeller in.
red find a sky T. match IT, Amt ye
never card o. what them dagos calls
blood o. Chris'-them dagos wot loads
re ballest In tn Platter" I had not
heard. well. it's sky like that, an
t comes afore one of them 'pamperos.'
Min l wos lynn In Monte yideo
,ncet. an we 'ad a sky all blood red
an never a cloud, an tn fishin' boats
wos all comm in; not rowin' shipshape.
same IS me an you 'ud do; them
shown tn oars 3 II they wos pushin'
1 barrier" He spat into a dark corner
md said something more about dagos.
hen continued: mex day we 'ad
gale. 'Owlin', II was. an her drivip'
into 1t same s we wos of tn Horn.
m big German bark driv' down on
Is an took tn fore to'gal'n'mast out o
er an tn boom an started all tn
eadgear. Two ships wos driv' ashore.
IN that's wot comes out hem skies
wot they calls tn blood o. Chris"
1t was an Impressionist picture LAT
annoyed my mate-an impression OF a
scene in dock. with masts and tunnels
md hulls all mixed VI The coloring
was good. but the sb,os might have
been nineplns - egs ooxes or any
niry A. frrf n. wa pernlexad then