Gregory Manchess
The Whydah went down in a storm not far off the coast of Cape Cod in April 1717. Seven survivors were rounded up when they made it to shore. They were held in prison for some time, wearing the same clothes as when they were captured. They got pretty raggedy by trial time.
Most of them were hanged. Two were made slaves again. Second from the left is Hendrick Quintor, whose portrait I did for the first post of this series.
The title is "FATE." I designed the trial scene from a couple of thumbnails. Again, moving very fast as the deadline was approaching.
The sequence of painting. I modeled for many of the figures, just to get the anatomy and attitude right. Definition of insanity: painting a gazillion faces in a crowd from 1717.
At the last, I realized I had to change one of the faces from a black man to a Mojito Indian man, third pirate from the right. And I really liked that black guy’s face, too.
The Puritan minister in front of the podium is Cotton Mather, son of Increase Mather, notorious minister of the Salem Witch Trials.
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