Three Marine Painters

Checking over my 40 year old notes, I'm reminded that I have three connections to marine artists. First is John Popeye Arnold; second is Montague Dawson; third is someone I will not name. Coming from the former world famous whaling port of New Bedford, Massachusetts, I have always been interested in marine art, as you can tell if you manage to squeeze into my basement hide-away.

John Popeye Arnold, alias Jay Arnold, alias J. Arnold (as he signs his paintings) is (20th Century) a marvelous painter who likes to paint whale ships. I have one of his many paintings labeled "Yankee Whalers" that show the Charles W. Morgan and three other whalers cavorting in the Southern Seas.

When I was a child the Charles W. Morgan was berthed in New Bedford, and my Uncle Allen would often take me to play on the ship. That's probably where I got my feel for things connected with the whaling industry. (Of course, now I love the whales and do whatever I can to help them survive the Japanese, Norwegians and others who violate the no-whaling treaties.)

I love to reread and reread Moby Dick and those that know me in Puzzle organizations know that my "nom" is Ahab. For years, I had AHAB as my license tag, until the MVA would not let me renew it because I had had it too long! Now I believe someone else has it. When I had the
tag and we would visit the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the curator would ask me to park out front in a special spot so that tourists could see it.

The Charles W. Morgan was "stolen" (in my opinion) by Mystic seaport and can be seen there. The ship has historic significance because it was the last whaler sailing out of New Bedford to make any money. I believe that the richest woman in the world at one time, Hetty Green, was the recipient of wealth earned by the Morgan. (At one time, New Bedford was the richest city in America, and Hetty Green helped to make it so. She was known as the Witch of Wall Street and was reputed to be a mean old skin-flint. Read: The Day They Shook the Plum Tree by Arthur H. Lewis. )

Sylvia Ann Howland was the recipient of some of Hetty's money and was very charitable.. in fact, one of my friends, many generations removed from Hetty, received some of Sylvia's estate.

Back to Mr. Arnold. I'll be darned if I can find much information about him, but I do know that his paintings bring big bucks at auctions. I don't care.. I love my painting and would not give it up for any amount of money.

The second marine artist I have been very interested in for years is British painter Montague Dawson 1890-1973. He has a number of Baltimore connections and painted murals on the wall of one of the downtown banks. If the bank has survived urban renewal it is worth a visit. I went to the bank's lobby some years ago to look at a Mel Fisher display of salvaged gold and was pleasantly surprised to see the Dawson murals. I have some of his prints hidden in my "archives"; I'll try to resurrect them and frame them for my walls, if I can find room.

The third marine painter was a man who I thought for years was my father. I'm not going to give you his name, because DNA testing showed that I am not his son. For years, many people, including him I believe, thought that he was my father. At one time he had an artist's studio and painted lots of marine scenes. In my lifetime, Ive only seen one of his paintings, which was pointed out to me by my dentist.. it was hanging in his office.

Over the years I tried to find and buy his paintings, but someone told me that his brother bought up all of them to keep for the family. I have had the recent pleasure of seeing pictures of two paintings that were not related to the marine scene: A Blue-eyed Clown, and A Madonna and Child.. very well done, I must say. Although disappointed that he was not my father, I appreciate the fact that thinking he was affected my life in a possitive manner, especially by fostering my love of art.