Sea History 038 - Winter 1985-1986

Page 26

John Groves, by Alex A. Hurst

Competent though many artists are, those in the very first rank are rare in any generation, and thus it is seldom that a picture in an exhibition makes such an impression that it is etched on one's memory for all time. I had such an experience some years ago at the Royal Society of Marine Artists , where I saw a small pastel of a square-rigger close on a lee, rock-bound coast, and seen from the shore. For my part, I was entranced , and it seemed that I was not the only one. The lighting , the execution and, indeed , the whole conception were masterly . Of course, I should have bought it there and then, but I waited until I had seen the rest of the show and, by then, was too late . Nor was I the only one so disappointed , for the picture became quite a conversation piece . It was by John Four men to a wheel was never satisfactory . They had to act with impossible unison, and it taxed the watch . One can f eel the strain on the ship and men.

In 1799 during the quasi-war with France , the US merchant ship Gallant Planter successfully fights off a heavily armed French privateer.

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SEA HISTORY, WINTER 1985-86


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Sea History 038 - Winter 1985-1986 by National Maritime Historical Society & Sea History Magazine - Issuu