Art Lovers discussion

Je connais des bateaux qui restent dans le port
De peur que les courants les entrainent trop fort.

(I know boats that stay in the harbor
For fear the currents will drag them too hard.)

For people, who like me have a hard time believing this is a painting, and a watercolor!
Here a detail:

eakins

Not Eakins, Geoffrey.

Courbet?

Winslow Homer?

Both wrong, Connie and Ruth.
The artist is not American.

Very interesting picture - I have no idea who the artist is.

I found it but had to search from A to Z ...

To give an impression of the size.
Picture taking at an auction in 2010 were it sold for a record breaking prize (for a watercolor) of almost €2,9 million.

turner

No not Turner, but the artist is indeed male.
The watercolor above is from the late 1880's just before he switched completely to oil.

1908

Besides a thing for naked girls in the wild, this artist was a very successful portrait painter with queens and presidents as customers.

I looked it up and I have never heard of this one, sorry.

That portrait looks a little Sargenty, but you said the artist was not American.

Well... I posted him at least twice the last couple of months ;-)
And Ruth, you're not far off with the connection with Sargent.
They knew each other.

Anders Zorn

I remember you posted his portrait of President Taft recently.

Correct Connie!

Huzzah!

Self portrait 1889


Self portrait 1915

I guess we should have picked up on Chris' comment about searching from A to Z a few days ago!

Indeed it was a giveaway... or not ;-)

A couple of portraits

Jean-Baptiste Faure


Grover Cleveland


Gustav V


Oscar II

The full lyrics:

Je connais des bateaux qui restent dans le port
De peur que les courants les entrainent trop fort.
Je connais des bateaux qui rouillent dans le port
A ne jamais risquer une voile dehors.
 
Je connais des bateaux qui oublient de partir,
Ils ont peur de la mer à force de vieillir,
Et les vagues jamais ne les ont emportés.
Leur voyage est fini avant de commencer.
 
Je connais des bateaux tellement enchaînés
Qu’ils ont désappris comment se libérer.
Je connais des bateaux qui restent à clapoter
Pour être vraiment sûrs de ne pas chavirer.
 
Je connais des bateaux qui s’en vont à plusieurs
Affronter le grand vent au-delà de la peur.
Je connais des bateaux qui s’égratignent un peu
Sur les routes océanes où les mène leur jeu.
 
Je connais des bateaux qui n’ont jamais fini
De repartir encore, chaque jour de leur vie
Et qui ne craignent pas parfois de s’élancer
Côte à côte en avant, au risque de sombrer.
 
Je connais des bateaux qui reviennent au port
Lacérés de partout, mais plus braves et plus forts.
Je connais des bateaux débordant de soleil
Quand ils ont partagé des années de merveilles.
 
Je connais des bateaux qui reviennent toujours
Quand ils ont navigué jusqu’à leur dernier jour,
Tout prêts à déployer leurs ailes de géants
Parce qu’ils ont le cœur à taille d’océan.
Mannick (Marie-Annick Rétif)

https://youtu.be/cUZHDYC5LHc

My own translation so give me a bit of break, I'm certainly not a poet:

I know boats that stay in the harbor
For fear that the currents will drag them too hard.
I know boats rusting in the harbor
Never risk to sail outside.

I know boats that forget to leave,
They are afraid the sea will force them to grow old,
And the waves never took them away.
Their journey is over before it started.

I know so many chained boats
Because they have forgotten how to break free.
I know boats that are left to tap
To be really sure not to capsize.

I know boats going out several times
Facing the great wind beyond fear.
I know boats that are scratching a little
On the ocean routes where their game leads.

I know boats that never finished
To leave once more, every day of their life
And who do not sometimes fear to start
Side by side forward, at the risk of sinking.

I know boats coming back to port
Lacerated everywhere, but braver and stronger.
I know boats brimming with sunshine
When sharing their years of wonders.

I know boats that always come back
When they sailed to their last day,
All ready to deploy their giant wings
Because they have a heart the size of the ocean.

I tried to help! One of his portraits is of Isabella Stewart Gardner and is hung in the Gardner Museum in Boston - of course!

isabella stewart gardner

yup!