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| Photo (C) 2015 Dale DiMauro |
On our arrival in the state of Maine, we were told the tall ships were in port. That is, in Portland's deepwater harbor. In fact, there were twelve tall ships; most were replicas of ships from the era of the War of 1812, and one was from as far away as Spain, a replica from the founding of St. Augustine, Florida in 1565. We were able to board the ships, talk with the crew and acquire a sense of how they set sail. They are quite a dramatic sight. Most impressive to me, are the individuals who climb up and out to the uppermost rigging to let out and bring in the sails. It is a great tradition.
The above oil by Johan Barthold Jongkind (1819-1891) titled "Norwegian Ship Leaves the Port of Honfleur" was painted in 1865. We saw it in the Portland Museum of Art, where it is part of the permanent collection. It reminded me of the tall ships we had just seen. Jongkind's picture is also one of my wife's favorite paintings, which she looks for each year when we visit this museum. I appreciate the simple composition, classic ship, varied sky and yellow water!
The entire collection of The Portland Museum of Art has just recently become available online (http://collections.portlandmuseum.org), but it is best to see the paintings in person.
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