An Attack on a Galleon

Howard Pyle was an American illustrator, painter, and author, primarily of books for young people, best known for his The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. After his death, in 1911 a publisher collected some of his pirate stories and illustrations and published them as Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates. Today's painting was Pyle's, which served as an illustration for one of these stories. 

Pyle's story vividly portrays the dangers faced by ships navigating the waters around the colonial ports of Central and South America in the 17th century, when vessels transporting plundered wealth from the "New World" to the Spanish crown were frequently targeted by pirates. In this scene, a massive galleon is at the mercy of a small yet deadly pirate craft. Billowing smoke, illuminated by gunfire, signals the pirate assault as it overwhelms the galleon’s crew. The ship's grand emblem, untouched by the violence, overlooks the ruthless confrontation.

This painting is featured in our Sea, Ships, and Beaches 50 Postcards Set - if you'd like to have it in your collection, visit our online Shop :) 

P.S. Do you know the story behind ship's figureheads (the ornamented part on the bow of a ship)? Read about the "wild women of the waves"!