Dorus of the Sea 1

Not too dissimilar in nature to the viral "Have You Seen This Man" meme that ended up spawning quite an enjoyable film (2023's Dream Scenario starring Nicholas Cage), this pervasive image of a fisherman appeared everywhere growing up, and I had absolutely no idea who he was or why he was in so many people's homes.

Partnered with classic pop culture fisher-people like The Sea Captain (from The Simpsons), the guy on the box of High Liner fish-sticks and of course John Player (from the cigarettes), the classic image of a working Man At Sea blends all sorts of familiar tropes in one's head, but this image of this man is very specific and actually based on a real person.

Theodorus "Dorus" Rijkers lived to the age of 81 and died in 1928, in his hometown of Den Helder in the Netherlands. His career as a lifeboat captain solidified him as a folk hero, as he is most known for the 487 shipwreck victims he saved from the cold cold waters of the Atlantic ocean, with at least 25 of them being from before he was even employed in the lifeboat service.

The achievements of Dorus left him with a meagre life financially, but revered and honored for his rescue operations as there are currently 18 cities across the Netherlands that now bear his name.

This version of a classic "Dorus" piece is made of beautiful needlepoint bordered by a gold painted wood frame.