In honour of the 400th anniversary of the establishment of Bermuda as a human habitation, the Masterworks Museum is hosting, in the Butterfield Family Gallery, as well as in the Bank of Bermuda Mezzanine, an exhibition devoted to the boat in Bermuda's history, from the wreck of the Sea Venture in 1609 to the days of the Queen of Bermuda in the mid twentieth century.

But why "the boat"? Is that a suitable topic for such a celebration? I think it is and as I develop the argument in its favour, I think you will also understand the appropriateness of such a topic.

Recently I read an essay about the history of the visual arts in Bermuda, in which the author claimed that Bermudian architecture is possibly our only indigenous art form.

From that article, I understood that it was the Bermuda roof that set our buildings apart and certainly the Bermuda roof is unique, but having thought about that claim, I had to disagree.

It is my thinking that the Bermuda rig, the triangular sail that set Bermudian boats apart, especially in our early history, should also be considered as a uniquely Bermudian art form. My argument is that architecture is a branch of the visual arts and by extension, that includes marine architecture. The Bermuda rig, therefore, has to be included as part in our unique artistic contributions to world art.

The history of the Bermuda rig is important in our overall development and during the age of sail, we produced very fast sailing ships indeed, which we used in trading, especially throughout the western Atlantic.

It is my understanding that the development of the Bermuda rig was largely due to an inventive Dutchman, who was wrecked on Bermuda during the days of Governor Butler (1619 - 1622). Apparently the Governor employed him as a boat builder and it was by this means that the so-called lateen sail was adapted to our particular needs. The important quality of this rig is that it can sail close to the wind.

At first, this new type of sail was employed on smaller sail boats that were then the primary means of transport around Bermuda's island chain or for fishing, but after 1684, when the Bermuda Company was dissolved and the island came under the British Crown, the Bermuda rig was adapted for use on larger, seagoing vessels. Thus began the development of the Bermuda sloop.

"We Are Sailing" was curated with works of art entirely from the Museum's extensive collection. Fifty-eight works are being exhibited altogether. All but two of the works in this show, somehow, somewhere, include a boat or boats. These two exceptions are about the sea, however. They are a watercolour by Grant Simon, an American artist who painted in Bermuda during the latter 1930s. His painting is called, "Gathering Seaweed, Shelly Bay". It depicts a wagon being loaded with seaweed. The other is a hand-coloured screen print, entited "Bermuda Petrel", by American modernist Frank Stella. Most of the exhibition, but not all, is devoted to paintings, drawings and photographs. There are also a number of ship models on show.

As you enter the gallery, on the right, you will see a superb watercolour depicting the Sea Venture in the storm that eventually saw it wrecked on a Bermuda reef. This is by Captain M. E. Musson, who interestingly, was also the captain of the Queen of Bermuda and that ship is being celebrated in its own special space, directly above the entrance in the upper mezzanine. Captain Musson has the first and last say in this show. Additionally and elsewhere in the show, he also has a couple wooden ship models, one being HMS Endeavour, the other, a Bermuda 16-gun brig of war.

For those of us who are old enough to have sailed on the Queen, that was an unforgettable experience. Indeed, the Queen was a first class, luxury liner that was the centrepiece of Bermuda's golden age of tourism. For me personally, it was the usual way I left Bermuda to travel to New York and then on to New England for school and as a teenager, that was an incredibly civil way to travel. The reason why I traveled on the Queen, however, was because it was then, the least expensive way to get to North America.

Two paintings of the Queen stand out in this show, the 2006 painting by William Gringley and another created in 2008 by Scott Houston McBee. There are several photographs of this illustrious ship, on exhibit, as well as a striking poster by Adolph Treidler.

On the west wall, near the entrance are a number of early drawings and paintings, by military personal, who were stationed in Bermuda during the 19th century. The identity of several of these artists are presently unknown, but two are by Thomas Driver, who seems to have been employed by the military, although probably not actually in the armed services.

A short distance away are three watercolours by that well known, albeit, mysterious Edward James, who arrived in Bermuda in 1861 and lived in St. George's until his death in 1877. He is especially known for his paintings of ships, particularly blockade runners, those swift paddle steamers that ran the American blockade into Southern ports, during the American Civil War. The earliest work in the show, is George Tobin's 1797 watercolour and ink drawing of Flatts. Another very early work is the lithograph of Tobacco Bay by an artist named Gold. The lithograph was made in 1803, which is very early, for this technique, see! ing it was only invented by Alois Senefelder in 1796.

There are several internationally known artists represented in this show. That is, in addition to the already mentioned Frank Stella. I am thinking of Winslow Homer's watercolour of the "SS Trinidad", Marsden Hartley's "Movement, Bermuda", that may well be an abstraction of a sailing ship. Then there is Albert Gleizes' cubist rendition of "Pitt's Bay". Another is Malcolm Morley's oil painting, "Crusade", and a watercolour of Flatts. The latter was only painted in 2008.

This is an impressive exhibition, with excellent, very legible text panels to help the visitor through the show, but I do have one small criticism. There are several instances where, in order to create some kind of ambience, perfectly respectable works are surrounded by what I call bric-a-brac. These tend to clutter and cheapen what is otherwise a highly recommended show.

The exhibition continues through December 31, 2009.