I’m sure there’s a perfectly serious story behind this rather wacko painting by Ilya Repin. If anybody else is tempted to interpret it, I’d love to read what you come up with.
Bejewelled and bedecked they trooped through the deep green light of the sea caves as if they were at court, accepting the homage of bass and flounder with blind arrogance, dead souls streaming from the wreck. Barnacles studded satins and silks; needlefish threaded through torn lace, bloodied and scorched.
“Where are you going?” the wanderer asked.
“To see the new queen crowned.”
The voices trailed away into a gargle of bubbles as a chasm opened beneath their dead, mincing feet. The wanderer turned his face into the glittering morning sunlight, brilliant as a shoal of minnows, and continued his journey.
Jane Dougherty Writes 
Fab, such lovely descriptions and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Well done 🙂
Thanks! Glad you like the story. It’s such a weird painting I couldn’t resist it.
It worked well and got me holed right away. 🙂
Truly unusual and yet it grabs you and has to be read.
xxx Gigantic Hugs xxx
Thanks David xxx
Reblogged this on georgeforfun.
I thought shipwreck, too. You capture a romantically eerie, ghost-story feeling.
It reminded me of The Tempest. But when you look closely, the character with the fur hat is looking at a girl with a rather angry expression who appears to be refusing to leave the sunken ship. I think her story needs to be told. Will you do it?
I see it! Intriguing. I’ll give it a shot.
Oh good! It was the first thing I thought about when I woke up this morning.
Wonderful story, Jane. You are right that it is a weird painting. I thought the people at the top look like they’re being imagined–maybe by the man.
Thank you Merril! The facial expressions of the ones (mermaids?) at the front are really bizarre too.
A great piece jane and a wonderful painting too.
Thanks Laurie. It’s hard not to find a story among all that lot 🙂
A veritable cornucopia of characters in there.
I don’t advise looking at some of them too closely 🙂
Here goes… https://gracefulpress.wordpress.com/2015/09/02/another-miranda/
🙂