Jack Avery, Capturing Ship of the Great Mogul, from the Pirates of the Spanish Main series (N19) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1886 - 1891

This small chromolithograph from a series of cigarette cards depicts the pirate Jack Avery capturing a ship, part of a romanticized portrayal of pirates for commercial appeal. The billowing sails, a recurrent symbol in maritime art, evoke not just movement across the seas but also speak to the more profound human aspirations of exploration and conquest. Consider how such maritime images are constructed: ships and sailing, though materially grounded in reality, are consistently infused with symbolic weight across cultures and eras, representing voyages into the unknown. The act of capturing a ship bears echoes of ancient mythological themes of seizing power and wealth. This motif transcends its immediate context, resonating with humanity's enduring fascination with tales of daring, dominance, and the allure of the unknown. As we delve deeper, we find that, like the cyclical nature of the seas themselves, certain archetypes perpetually resurface, each time bearing the indelible marks of the ages.