This is an acrylic painting I’ve done for the cover of the short story “Demons on the Sea“.
When I wanted to make a cover for the story I was looking for a reference image for a three-masted steamer.
Amongst the most striking ones was one of the Earl King, which became the model of this painting.
The Earl King was a three-masted steamer, just like the ship in the story. His name (and yes, this ship is officially male, just like his name suggests) belongs to a mischievous omen of death – at the very best – or a purely evil bringer of death – at his worst – fairy king of the Germanic folklore. Not really a demon, but close enough.
Beyond the name, the parallels deepen. The Earl King was a commercial ship with passenger accommodations, much like my fictional ship. Contrary to the one in the story, Earl King’s facilities were on par with a first-class passenger liner.
Last but not least, the Earl King’s final trip was from England to America – just like the ship in the story – and he never reached America. Instead, he sank not far from the American coast. More or less what’s going to happen to the ship of the “Demons on the Sea”.
With so many uncanny similarities, he simply had to be the model. 😁
