Winslow Homer's "The Gulf Stream"
Winslow Homer is a classic American painter best known for his marine landscapes. His oil painting on canvas "The Gulf Stream" is undoubtedly his most notable work. He painted it in 1899, although he added a few significant features the next year. The roaring sea takes up two-thirds of the painting. In the middle of the painting, there is a yacht with a black guy on board. The boat is surrounded by sharks, and a submarine can be seen on the horizon in the painting's upper left corner (Winslow).
Martinus Rørbye's "View from the Citadel Ramparts in Copenhagen by Moonlight"
Sixty years earlier, a Danish painter Martinus Rørbye also used a marine theme in his work entitled “View from the Citadel Ramparts in Copenhagen by Moonlight”. One can see three men and three ships in the painting. Two of those men are probably sailors and the other one is a soldier. Two ships are relatively close to the men and the last one is seen on the horizon just like in Winslow Homer’s painting. The sea is ultimately calm and the three figures are facing it so that the viewer cannot see their faces (Rorbye).
The Attraction of the Sea in Marine-Themed Paintings
The image of the sea always attracted a lot of great painters from different times and places. It is probably because a man is not accustomed to living in the sea but is drawn to it nonetheless. The sea can be friendly and it can be threatening. In marine-themed paintings, there is usually a combination of water, people, and ships that completes the composition and creates a certain mood.
Differences in Depicting the Sea
The first major difference that catches the eye is the state of the sea. Winslow Homer’s waters are menacing and dangerous. They are filled with sharks that are ready to scavenge the remains of a little boat. One of the sharks is so close to the boat it seems like it can jump onto it. At least three other sharks are also nearby, and it seems like they are having a good time as they are almost sure of the upcoming meal. The sea around the boat is furious. It is painted with many different colors from lighter shades of blue to almost black. Winslow Homer also added some red elements to it in the later version. The waves are enormous, and the boat is tilted by them like it was made of paper (Winslow). It seems like this little ship is almost ready to crack in two under the might of those waves. Martinus Rørbye painted his sea in the opposite way. It literally could not be calmer. It is smooth and flat. If not for the moonlight, it would probably be impossible to see or even hear it.
Depiction of People by the Sea
There are also men alongside the sea in both of the paintings. Martinus Rørbye placed his three people in the foreground of the picture. They all have their backs to the viewers and they face the sea and ships in front of them (Rorbye). It is unclear as to what they are thinking about as their faces are unseen. But since they are looking at such calm waters lit by the moonlight, they probably recall their past deeds or dream about their future. Their lives are connected with the sea. It is basically a part of their nature by now. People that live on the sea are a special breed of men. Such is a man on Winslow Homer’s painting. There he is on his little boat broken by the hostile waters. It would seem that in a situation like this he should be worried. The situation is hopeless as he is surrounded by the unbreakable forces of nature. But he is as calm as waters on Martinus Rørbye’s picture. He does not even look at the school of sharks near his boat. He turned his head so he cannot even see the ship on the horizon.
Inclusion of Ships
Ships are an inseparable part of marine paintings. This element unites and distinguishes the two paintings at the same time. Winslow Homer put his ship at the very center of his composition. This small boat is dismasted and rudderless. Sharks that are swimming around are practically the same size as this boat. The situation is so eye-catching that one cannot immediately see another ship on the horizon. Winslow Homer added this ship later as a symbol of hope. But this kind of hope is distant and is rather an illusionary one. Martinus Rørbye, on the other hand, placed his ships in such a way that they do not compel attention. One of them is even obscured by the figure of a soldier. Another one is floating on the horizon just like in Winslow Homer’s picture. Although both pictures contain classical elements of marine-oriented paintings, authors use them very differently in order to create a necessary mood.
Works Cited
Winslow, Homer. The Gulf Stream. 1899.
Rorbye, Martinus. View from the Citadel in Copenhagen by Moonlight. 1839.
