Three Wise Men of Gotham

Black and White Sea – Men in a Boat

This is a short and very simple rhyme with almost no variation in text and, therefore, not a great deal of difference among the visual interpretations. The examples included here include four black and white illustrations from the 19 th and the beginning of the 20 th century.

Examine these images and consider:

• In what kind of “bowl” are these men are sailing? How secure is it?
• Is the sea pictured as calm and comforting or as threatening?
• What do the physical characteristics of the men and their facial expressions communicate to viewers?
• What the men wearing? What does their attire tell us about them?
• Look particularly at their headgear. Why might three of these images show a hat in the water?
• These black and white images were no doubt more a reflection of the artistic and publishing technologies available in their time than an aesthetic decision. Nonetheless, how effective are they in communicating the essence of the rhyme to an audience today?