Pirate and Sea Maiden 13 Lily by Robert Kline
Pirate with Sea Maiden 13 Lily
Pirate with mermaid art and story by Robert Kline
This pirate art print is available for purchase in the following matted sizes: 5″ x 7″, 8″ x 10″, 11″ x 14″ and an 11″ x 17″ that comes unmatted on a piece of 1/4″ foam board.
This wonderful Mermaid and Pirate art print is from a collection of Sea Maidens (mermaids), Sea Babies (mermaid babies), Sea Masters (merman), pirates, lighthouses and fairies created by renowned artist and novelist Robert Kline of St. Augustine, Florida. The lovely mermaid and pirate print has been derived from Robert’s novel The Forgotten Voyage of the H.M.S. Baci. The print is a lithograph reproduction of Robert’s original pencil and watercolor painting. It has been hand labeled and hand signed by Robert in pencil. All of the prints come with a 1/4″ foam backing and the 5×7′s, 8×10′s, 11×14′s are matted sizes so all you need is a frame and they are ready to hang on your wall! Each of the prints come with an excerpt from Robert Kline’s novel The Forgotten Voyage of H.M.S. Baci in which multiple generations of the Roberts’ family explore the seven seas in search of the world’s mermaid and merman population. The following is the excerpt for this print:
The story of the pirate’s first Christmas is one of the original legends of pirates in the Florida Keys. Young William Duckard sailed with Long Ben Avery throughout the 1680′s and was richly rewarded. Unlike his brethren, he saved his loot in a little chest he kept hidden in the bilge. After their successful taking of the Gang-I-Sawai on its return from Mecca, he found his chest full to overflowing and decided the pirate’s life was no longer the life for him. One moonless night William stole away in a provisioned long boat and sailed off to the coast of Florida. He settled on one of the lesser keys, visiting various Caribbean Islands when the fancy struck, buying those things he needed there and restocking the library. It was an idyllic life he led; wealth to last a lifetime; sun, sea and sand and a perfect climate. Most wonderful was his relationship with a Sea Maiden he befriended. She was beautiful and intelligent, learning English easily and enjoying his books. They swam together during the day, and told stories and discussed literature in the evening. Christmas Eve of 1689, Lily (named for his grandmother) asked him to tell her of Christmas. He did, and she loved the story of the three wise men, and the concept of selfless giving. Their conversation strayed to his treasure chest and she asked, “Why do you keep it?” You’ve told me of sad lives so many of your people live…wouldn’t it be good to help them?”
Young William was at first stunned. Then he tried to explain that it was not just his treasure, it represented his freedom and the fruit of his miserable life at sea. “But didn’t you steal it?” she asked quietly. In the end he came to her way of thinking, although some say he was dragged to it Christmas Day he not only agreed to take it to Hispaniola and leave it on the front step of the monetary, but to do it that very day.
Samuel Edmund Roberts relates there are three different versions of the ending of the tale: in one of them William returns and they live happily ever after. Another says he is lost in a storm and never returns. The third is that he is knocked out and robbed before he reaches the monastery. He gets amnesia, is found and taken in by the monks, and spends the rest of his days helping them care for the poor.
