By: Jos Sances

Medium: Screenprint
Year: 2022
Image Size: 20 x 15 inches
Image Size: 24 x 18 inches
Edition of 18

In this compelling portrait titled Ahab, Sances channels the psychological intensity of Herman Melville’s iconic anti-hero from Moby-Dick. The print presents a brooding, weatherworn Captain Ahab standing firmly on the deck of the Pequod. With his wooden leg planted defiantly and his heavy coat billowing in the wind, Ahab radiates an aura of obsession and menace. His solitary form dominates the foreground, while ghostlike figures of sailors—etched faintly into the sky—suggest the many lives swept up in his vengeful pursuit.

Accompanying the image is a quote from Ishmael, Melville’s narrator:
“Ahab’s quenchless feud seemed mine. With greedy ears I learned the history of that murderous monster against whom all others had taken our oaths of violence and revenge.”
This excerpt underscores the deep psychological entanglement between leader and crew, and between man and myth.