The Horse Latitudes are the subtropic latitudes between 30 and 36 degrees both north and south. There are few winds in the Horse Latitudes and little current . In colonial days ships could be slowed or even stalled to no movement at all for days or even weeks in confused seas and heat. To conserve water and food, and to lighten the loads of the ships in hopes of maximizing the effect of the light winds, sailors sometimes threw horses overboard. It is said that the horses would swim for miles after the ships until they drowned and that the sailors were haunted by dreams of the horses' panicked screams for the rest of the voyage.
In this painting a ship is caught in the Horse Latitudes. It carries a load of coins and tobacco. Four horses ride the waves above, but they are more cloud than corporeal. Are they real or are they only a pipedream of the Smoker who will enjoy the tobacco?
As I am in the midst of preparing boards for large outdoor paintings, I have engaged in this very small painting. Tomorrow I will produce another in between coats of gesso. This painting took about an hour and a half from start to finish.
Acrylic paint, silk and Virginia Pride* tobacco on paper 6.5 x 8” (16 x 20 cm.)
*Virginia Pride blend of tobacco is one third Cavendish. "Cavendish tobacco originated in the late 16th century, when Sir Thomas Cavendish, commanded a ship in Sir Richard Grenville's expedition to Virginia in 1585, and discovered that by dipping tobacco leaves in sugar it produced a milder and more mellow smoke." (source: Wikipedia)
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