"Palestine afire in Bangka Strait"

Acrylic on Canvas Board

14 x 18 inches (35.5 x 46 cm)

Signed, & dated 75, lower left

Framed

Conrad's next ship seemed an odd choice, "an utterly insignificant little barque named Palestine, lying in a dark pool in one of the smaller London docks". She appeared very scruffy but underneath was "a thoroughly shapely, graceful little vessel" to whose qualities Conrad responded. He used her in a story called "Youth", changing her name to Judea.

Palestine's voyage was to collect coal in South Shields and transport it to Bangkok in what was then called Siam. Departing London in 1881, the trip encountered great delay and difficulty but was able at last to depart for the East. She was not to arrive. Somewhere off the southeast coast of Sumatra, near Bangka Island, her coal cargo ingnited and finally Palestine blew up, her crew having had ample time to abandon ship. It is all in the story "Youth".

This lovely painting is one of a group of twelve painted by Mark Myers in 1975 to illustrate a manuscript on Conrad's maritime life by Alan Villiers. Mark served at sea under Alan Villiers and remained devoted to him. The book was finally published in 2006 by Alan's son Peter Villiers. Entitled "Joseph Conrad: Master Mariner" it is an enthralling account of Conrad's extensive maritime service, touching on its influence on his stories and writing. Mark Myers' paintings are beautifully reproduced in the book, bringing out the extraordinary clarity and detail he achieved in each work.

To buy the painting, or reserve it for 24 hours to obtain a shipping quote, contact Charles Mayes

cm@marineartists.co.uk +44(0)20 7352 7759

Full description on request. A larger photograph is available

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