Sea Baby 1 with porpoise by Robert Kline
Sea Baby 1 with porpoise by Robert Kline
This beautiful Sea Baby illustration is from a collection of Sea Maidens (mermaids), Sea Babies (mermaid babies), Sea Masters (merman), pirates and fairies created by renowned artist and novelist Robert Kline of St. Augustine, Florida. The illustrations are from Robert’s novel The Forgotten Voyage of H.M.S. Baci in which Edmund C. Roberts describes in his log, his various Sea Maiden, Sea Baby and Sea Master sightings. The following is the excerpt for this illustration:
The day following Edmund C. Roberts’ sighting of a pregnant Sea Maiden was also productive. In the morning the young explorer left the company of his hangers-on and made a solo descent in his diving apparatus. He immediately sighted his first sea baby, it apparently enjoying the company of a rather docile dolphin. Roberts’ notebook is brief regarding this encounter, but the diaries of others aboard the Baci Finale allow for our fleshing out of his reaction: That evening Roberts retired to his salon. He was later joined by the triplets, Sara, Sue and Marie just as he finished his preliminary sketch. All three girls tiptoed up behind the young man and peered over his shoulders. Sara drew in her breath. “A sea baby an’ a dolphin! Never thought a’ that.”
“Too bad for you,” Sue taunted as Sarah turned to her. Marie remained silent and watched them both, all the while intrigued by Roberts’ drawing. “What’s that baby about?” Sarah asked. (It is a bit dodgy classifying Roberts’ commentary as fact or fiction or fairy tale.) “One would believe a bright little thing such as yourself would know immediately what ‘that baby’s about’—why, she’s— (here Roberts pauses and looks away from the girls. He adjusts his ascot, smooths the front of his smoking jacket and then continues in earnest) “having a talk with mister Dolphin. They’re all one down there, don’t you see? Fishes. Sea Maidens. The whole lot. They’re all one. So when the little ragged muffin finds itself alone—missing mummy, as it were, why quick as a snap the poor dear just turns to whomever is in the neighborhood and strikes up a conversation—”
“Asks a bloody dolphin where mums’ gone—stoker trash if there ever was,” Sarah rejoined.
“Well, young lady, your knowledge of the universe now challenges that of Lucretius, you remain you remain dreadfully short in the undersea category. The particular Sea Baby I encountered and have hence skillfully drawn, did indeed raise Mr. Dolphin’s nose, kissed him ever so softly and having observed that nicety, went on to inquire as to the whereabouts of its maternal connection—the Sea Baby’s mum—and was politely answered in kind by Mr. Dolphin. Our Sea Baby then left Mr. Dolphin and swam directly to her. I witnessed it all as I have described to you. You may believe me or return to your room with the cold delusion that I fabricated such an explanation solely for your entertainment. In any event; off to bed, all three of you.” Which leaves us with their enigma.
Edmund C. Roberts notebook reads:
Spied a Sea Baby in company of a dolphin. Communication. Sea Baby retired. Dolphin has been noted frolicking in the ships bow wave.
Sea Baby 1
This illustration is available for purchase in the following matted sizes: 5″ x 7″, 8″ x 10″, 11″ x 14″ and an 11″ x 17″ that comes unmatted on a piece of 1/4″ foam board.
