The Prison Ship

A wretched prison ship plies deep blue waters under full sail. The sails themselves are the laws and words under which the men, who are transported in the Ship, are held.

Mermaids cavort among sunken treasure, compasses, ropes and rigging. The prisoners can neither see, nor can they take pleasure in their presence around the Ship.

During the American Revolution, prisoners were held in ships by the British. In fact, more American prisoners of war during the American Revolutionary War died on British prison ships than died in every battle of the war combined – approximately 11,500 men and women in New York Harbor alone, it is estimated. They died of overcrowding, contaminated water, starvation and disease. So numerous were the deaths that each morning the British jailers would greet the prisoners with, “Rebels, turn out your dead!”

Given those early sacrifices, we should continue to be mindful of this country’s laws with regards to those being held prisoner today, no matter what the circumstances.

In addition, a prison is a metaphor for many states of mind and emotion, not only physical prisons.

This painting incorporates many elements which I molded from objects around my studio, including the female torsos on the three mermaids and the thick rope along the water’s edge. They are made of gel medium, using the technique I described earlier in this blog. I enjoyed the poor casting of the women, because I thought they looked like weathered figureheads and fraying rope.



Acrylic paint, silk, 22k gold leaf and leather on paper.

Footnote: After the war, the British Commander in charge of the Prison Ships was brought up on war crimes charges and was subsequently hanged.