Hearty cries ring out across the Atlantic as two merchant ships pass in the sea lanes off the British coast. Both fly the red ensign of the British merchant marine, and are employed as transports of troop and vital equipment. The numerous commercial ships of the United Kingdom were bolstered by the victory and liberty ships built by the United States maritime commission.
The stiff wind flutters each ensign, which is equally evident with the push of the high sea by the artist. Western Europe's commercial shipping interests practically came to a crawl due to the preying of the German U-boats. Still, men, materials and machines had to make their way upon the seas to fight for the allied cause, by way of commissioned merchant ships, refitted passenger liners, and the grand fleets constructed specifically for war.
Painted during the war, the presence of the sun rays breaking through the English gloom must have worked in an uplifting sense for those who viewed it, as the tides of the war had begun to turn in favor of Britain and her allies. Still it was necessary to either sail in convoys of armed might, or traverse the open sea in irregular patterns with light radio communication to avoid the enemy. Despite all that has been written, filmed and shared, only those aboard such ships may accurately know the emotion the artist, himself a naval veteran, has so finely communicated through this work with its excellent heavy palette. His painting recognizes the many who served their countries.
