Great Auk - Henry Drummond's Vision


The Great Auk's ghost rose on one leg, 

Sighed thrice and three times winkt,

 And turned and poached a phantom egg

 And muttered, 

"I'm extinct."

Ralph Hodgson 1871 - 1962


                       Great Auk (Henry Drummond's Vision), oil on masonite, 20" x 20", Steven Rhude



Colonel H. M. Drummond was a highly respected Ornathologist. In December 1852, eight years after the Great Auk was supposedly extinct, Henry was sailing home for Christmas. Good old Henry spotted what he thought was a Great Auk off the coast of Newfoundland. The following year a dead bird was allegedly found washed up on the shores of Trinity Bay on the eastern side of Newfoundland. This account is from Eric Fuller's book The Great Auk.

Science has little patience for ghosts, and Henry had no camera or an eye witness to back up his claim - only his word and his vision. I on the other hand, had a great specimen skeleton from the Rooms in St. John's Newfoundland to work from as I made a painting with these thoughts in mind. It's strange contemplating the rames of such a tragic tale. What exactly was Henry really looking at - the last Auk? 

Steven Rhude, Wolfville, NS    


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Passing through Dildo and toponyms to remember

Image
The place name "Dildo" is attested in this area since at least 1711, though how this came to be is unknown. The origin of the word "dildo" itself is obscure. It was once used to reference a phallus-shaped pin stuck in the edging of a row boat to act as a pivot for the oar (also known as a "thole pin" or "dole pin.") [1] Passing Through Dildo, oil on canvas, 35"x 60", Steven Rhude, Emma Butler Gallery The Rock isn't just known for its colourful buildings and people. Newfoundland place names have inspired some of the most lively discussions over the centuries and, in many instances avoided sanitising by a 1904 Nomenclature Board, that according to Gordon Hancock (faculty member at Memorial University and a member of the Advisory Committee on Toponymic Research) was formed to eliminate postal code chaos and what at the time was considered to be "local embarassment that resulted from duplicate or unfortunate toponyms".
Read more

The Saving of Everett Lewis

Image
“One believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved” (St. Paul, Rom. 10:10). On October 23rd, 2018 I met and interviewed Reverend Stephen Wade in Paradise, Nova Scotia. In 1978, New Years Eve day, Reverend Wade met and provided spiritual consolation hours before Everett Lewis was murdered. Port Lorne, Nova Scotia, 2013 - a power outage owing to a winter storm. He went out to his garage to start up his generator which was in need of fuel. The power was out and emergency sirens could be heard through out the region. It was one of those winter nights.  I'm reminded of the power of gasoline, my own can stored in a shed ... pull back the plastic lock to release the cap into motion and then turn the cap counter clockwise to expose the flammable agent... did it a thousand times. The odour staining my nostrils, as I eventually fill my lawn mower gas tank to cut my grass and maintain a common, and collective suburban exercise. An im
Read more

What really happened in Marshalltown?

Image
"In 1851 including idiots and imbiciles, there was one insane person for every 593 of the population; in 1861 this ratio had risen to one in 504; while in 1871 there was no less than one to 309." He further noted that "the advance of the population was at 40 percent, while the number of those with unsound mind increased 169 percent in the same period."  - Dr. DeWolfe, Report of the inspector of Humane Institutions April1, 1955 to March 31, 1956, Province of Nova Scotia Poor Farm, oil on canvas, 60" x 128", Steven Rhude      This time of year dodging the weather is an art form in itself - the two hour journey from Wolfville to Marshalltown on a two lane highway must be timed accordingly and approached with caution. Winds from the north mountain can easily buffet a car as one contemplates their destination. On other occasions, engulfed in white outs, I've turned back; "keep your eye on the road mister." That said, driving through
Read more