Painted in 1948, the present work is a vividly rendered oil depicting the Captain standing proudly at the front of his vessel, hands behind his back - surveying the horizon ahead of him, or perhaps returning home? As early as he could draw, adventures on the sea had captivated Jack B. Yeats, evidenced in this sale with the early sketches, pirate-inspired material and Broadside illustrations (see lots 9, 189 and 190).
Yeats was always drawn to strong characters, finding inspiration in them for a wealth of material. The Captain features prominently in Yeats' work across all stages of his career, and Pyle points out his pivotal position within Yeats' celebrated Life in the West of Ireland series from 1913.