"He shall have Dominion"

"He shall have Dominion." An 11 x 14 acrylic painting of the
Lion Statue at Gun Hill, Barbados by Mark Phillips

In response to a request from a client to use some of my work depicting scenes around Barbados, I was searching through some of my paintings and I came across this gem. 

I started this painting in February but I had to put it in my "unfinished pile" because I had a commisioned portrait to complete by Valentine's day and I never got back to it.

I realised that I had neglected the parish of St. George in my quest to represent Barbados in paint so... I threw this back on my aisle, and after a few very pleasurable hours, here we are!

Gun Hill is the finest of a series of signal stations built in 1818. These stations sighted ships approaching Barbados and signalled to each other, advising of the type of vessel and whether it was a friend or foe! In case of attack, the forts and soldiers could be quickly readied to defend the island. In the signal tower, a chart shows just what detailed information could be relayed with the use of a few flags. The signal stations were also used to warn of slave rebellions on the island.

The inscription under the Lion Statue
 at Gun Hill

At the foot of the signal station is this magnificent lion statue which was carved out of a single piece of rock in 1868 by Captain Henry Wilkinson with the assistance of four military labourers. It was meant as a depiction of Britain's strength and dominance.

Under the lion, there is an inscription with the sculptor's name and a verse from the Vulgate Latin translation of the Bible. Translated into English, it means 'He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river, unto the ends of the earth'.

At this time Britain possessed a global empire that was hugely impressive in scale, and stronger in both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and around their shores, than that of any other European state. Therefore, I tend to excuse the arrogance of Captain Wilkinson and must pay tribute to him as an artist. He has left a unique and truly impressive mark on the landscape of Barbados.

I will leave you today with this quote:

"With each new day in Africa, a gazelle wakes up knowing he must outrun the fastest lion or perish. At the same time, a lion stirs and stretches, knowing he must outrun the fastest gazelle or starve. It's no different for the human race. Whether you consider yourself a gazelle or a lion, you have to run faster than others to survive."  Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

As always, thank you for reading. I appreciate the comments and the kind words of encouragement. Until next time when I will share some more of my work and a little about this beautiful island that I call home, please leave a comment.  And, I will really appreciate if you share this post with your friends. To make sure that you don't miss any future posts, Please enter your email address in the subscribe by email box on the right.

Mark Phillips

Artist
Email:- mark@phillipsbajanart.com
Website:-www.phillipsbajanart.com
Online Store:- PhillipsArtStore