The great American painter and illustrator Howard Pyle must have had a crystal ball. How else could he have envisioned my characters, James Hook and Stella Parrish, for a painting done more than 100 years ago?
So there I was trolling around the interwebs earlier today when I stumbled across this lovely thing. This painting is called "Who Are We That Heaven Should Make of the Old Sea a Fowling Net?" which is a pretty fabulous title right there.
This piece illustrated a short story by James Branch Cabell called "The Second Chance," in Harper's Magazine in 1909. I haven't been able to find out what the story was about, or even if the character was a pirate (Pyle was a famous illustrator of pirate lore).
But judging from the man's outfit in this image, I'm thinking something in the piratical line. James would love this jacket and lace (although he prefers practical boots over such fussy shoes, especially aboard ship). And the title reference to a "fowling net" suggests someone who has to keep moving before his pursuers close in.
Of course, the lady's gown—also 18th Century—is all wrong for Stella, who comes from 1950. But her untidy auburn hair is just right. And the fact that she's out there on a rocky promontory with the notorious Captain Hook says a lot about her spirit!
Btw, I've been having a great time updating my Pinterest board on the world of Alias Hook, so check it out!
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