The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-04-27
A SEA PICTURE CRITIC
He Knew All About Ships and the
Wild Ocean.
ART COMMENTS OF A SAILOR

of How 'Arkness Come OFF the Main
>Yard-The Blood Red Sky Without
Cloud That Foretelis Storm.
Crude perhaps and curious. the out
come of life apart. sailormen have
yet an appreciation of the arts. writes
David w. Bone in the Manchester
Guardian.
Once In the Walter gallery I was
looking at THE Death of Nelson"
There was a man with the look Of a
seaman standing near. He had q 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' fhe painters he
meanh "knowed what they was
a-doin's Look at that ERE glim" Gan
term. Looks as its trimmin' was for
got wen they brought tn admiral
down. An them eyes," point
ing to wounded seaman in the near
foreground. ''them's tn eyes o. poor
'Arkness wot come off tn main yard
las voyage an struck tn fife rail full
onw
He told me Of the accident. how it
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. saw the running
figures on the deck. and-"'e meyer
larsted tn night. We buried i'm ont
there. Taltal it was" said my speaker.
involuntarily twisting shoulder to an
imaginary southwest.
There was sea picture, ship CON-
ing up to the Isle of Wight-clean
curving sails. good sense Of move
ment and fine. breezy atmosphere.
"Jest wot 1t is" said my friend,
"'omeward bound. Let 'er go. boys"
burst of enthusiasm that made some
visitor glance around, alarmed. "'Ome-
ward bound it isv' There were other
fine pictures. but we did not feel that
we had right to do more than look at
them and admire. With sea pictures 1t
was different. They were our world.
and who had the right to criticise the
way sea was moving or 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 a standing sail
and the relation it 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
was little call for sea critics down
stairs. SO we went to an exhibition of
modern art lin the upper galleries.
Here we found ourselves properly con-
fronted. Setting Sail After Blow" it
was. large canvas, ship pitching
heavily in the swell Of recent gale
and the crew putting the canvas on
her. 1t held 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 Platter He
wanted to show some word of cheer. to
swing his right hand to the left shout
der In seamanlike admiration, but the
cold gray eye Of tall hated official
was upon us-"Huh. sailorsy'-and
there was 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 slight density near the
horizon. said it was remarkable.
perhaps unreal. That's where We
amt in 1t, mister! Look a. here! Ii
We wos t. take all tn colors in tn lock-
er SOS We 'ad lots o. red an yeller in,
ye'd find a sky t match it Amt We
never 'eard o. what them dagos calls
blood O. Chris'-them dagos wot loads
We ballest in tn Platter l had not
heard SWELL, it's sky like that, an
1t comes afore one of them 'pamperos.'
Min l wos lynn in Monte video
oncet, an we 'ad sky all blood red
an never cloud, an tn fishin' boats
wos all comm in; not rowin' shipshape,
same g me an you 'ud do; them
shown tn oars g If they wos pushin'