The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-12-30
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 a
Cloud That Foretels a Storm.


Crude perhaps and curious. the out |
come OF Il life apart, Sailormcn have |
yet an appreciation of the arts, writes |
David w. Bone i'll the Manchester |
Guardian.
once in the Walter gallery | was |
looking at "The Death OF Nelson" |
There was a man with the look OF a |
seaman standing near. He had slight |
smell of drink and was chewing tobac- |
co. He. too, was interested i'm the pic
turc. and, recognizing me us seaman
like, he said something. and we got to
talking about Nelson and his times
about ships and pictures. "Bgad. !
mate, thcm fclcrs" Uhc painters he
m"amn "knowcd what they was
;idnin'. Look ut that 'crc glim" Oan-
tenn. Looks as its trimum' was for
got Wen they brought tn admiral
down. An them eyes" point
ing to a wounded seaman in the near
foreground, "thcms tn eyes o poor
'Arlincss wot come off tn main yard
las voyage an struck tn fife rail full
on"
He told me of the accident. how it
happened. and by his eyes and rude.
simple speech saw it ALL AS plain be-
fore me as the figure Of th" stricken
seaman | saw 'Arkncss come off the
main yard, clutching wildly at the
sheets and lifts as he fell | heard him
strike the rail with Il sickening thud
and lie stretched. | saw the running
figures on the deck. and" e never
larStCd tn night, We buried i'm out
there. Taltal it was" said my speaker
invOluntarily twisting Il shoulder to an
imaginary southwest.
There was sea picture, Il ship com
ing Up to the Isle of Wight-clcan
curving sails. a good sense of move
mcnt and a fine, breezy atmosphere.
Jest wot it Is said my friend
'omcward bound. Let or go boys"
burst OF enthusiasm that made some
visitor glance around, alarmed. "'Omc-
ward bound it iS"' There were other
fine pictures. but we did not Cccl that
we had right to do moro than look ut
them and admire. With sea pictures 1t
WAS different. They were our world,
ana who had the right TO criticlse the
way sea was moving Off the sky il
we had not? Too often had we watch
ed. anxious eyed for Il break in the
clouds not to know the way Of Wind
on tho water. the &cud of cloud
breaking free in Il welcome shift Well
we knew the curve of Il standing sail
and the relation it bore to the sense Of
movement.
For 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 chicfcSt citiZCnS. There
was little call for sea critics down
stairs. so we went TO an exhibition OF
modern art in The upper galleries.
Here we found ourselves properly con-
trontcd Setting Sail After Blow" it
was, n large canvas. ship pitching
heavily in the swell OF Il recent gale
and the crew putting the canvas on
her. II held n great message for my
mate Cblack smoke and an ever throb-
bing screw had not yet dullcd his sea
fancy). He was highly pleased. "Thcm
seas wot yc gets off tn Platter He
wanted to show some word OF cheer, TO
swing his right hand TO the left Shou-
der in Scamanlikc admiration but the
cold gray eye OF q tail hated official
was upon us-"lIuh, SailorS"'-
there was group Of young ladies
near by wOrshiping at the shrine Of a
corporation purchase. so he Contcntcd
himself by nudginG IRE furiously.
"ThatS wot | calls Il picture" he said.
\ sunset over water claimed our at
tcntion. blood rcd sky with no
clouds, only slight density near the
horizon. | said it was remarkable,
perhaps unreal. That's where ye
NH In, MT.
yc woS { take all tn colors i'm tn lock
or SOS yc 'ad lots O. red an yclcr in,
yc'd find a sky t. match it. Amt We
never card o what them dagoS calls
blood O Chris'-thcm dagoS wot loads
We balleSt in tn Platc2" | had not
heard. "Well, it's a Sky like that, an
it comes afore one of them 'pampcros.
Min | wos lyin in Monte Nidco
oncct an we 'ad a sky all blood red
an never Il cloud, an tn nshin boats
wos all comm in not rowin' shipshapc
same S me an YOU 'ud do; them
shown tn oars s if they wos pushin
, barrcr" He epat into dark corner
and said something more about dagos
then continued: Mex day we 'ad a
gale 'Owlin', it was, an her driyin
; into it same IS we woS off tn Horn
, an big German bark Iriv' down OF
, us an took tn fore to'gal'n'mast out o
or an tn boom arr started ali tn
'cadgcar Two ships wos driv' ashore
: an that's wot comes out o them skies
I wot they calls tn blood O. Chris"
, It was an imprcssionist picture tina
t annoyed my mate-an impression Of {
t scene in dock, with masts and tunnels
, and hullS all mixed uD. The cOIorins