Perils

The Story Behind The Artwork

In September 1620, the Mayflower left Plymouth carrying passengers bound for the New World.

The voyage that followed would take them across the Atlantic towards a destination they had never seen and a future they could not possibly have predicted. Perils focuses on the people at the heart of that story. Rather than depicting the Mayflower simply as a ship, Mike Hicks has placed it within an ornate composition that reflects the significance the voyage has acquired over the centuries. The ship becomes a symbol of the people who stepped aboard it and the enormous decision they had made to leave one world behind and attempt to build another.

At the centre of the artwork, the Mayflower sails across the ocean, surrounded by the decorative language of traditional maritime illustration. The date 1620 anchors the composition in a specific moment in time, while the surrounding ropework, flowers, scrolls and lettering give the piece the appearance of an old illustrated historical document. But beneath the decoration is a remarkably simple story.

• People leaving home.
• People boarding a small wooden ship.
• People crossing an ocean.
• People heading towards a future they could not see.

The Atlantic crossing was not simply a journey from one geographical point to another. For the passengers aboard the Mayflower, it represented a profound break with the familiar. They were leaving England behind and travelling towards an uncertain future in a place that was, to them, largely unknown. That sense of uncertainty is an important part of what makes the story so compelling.

Today, we know what came afterwards. We know the significance that Plymouth Colony would eventually acquire. We know the Mayflower has become an enduring symbol of the early European settlement of New England. We know the story has been retold countless times. But the people aboard the ship did not have that knowledge.

They were simply making the journey. And that is where the artwork finds its meaning. The ship at the centre of Perils represents the courage to leave, the uncertainty of what lies ahead and the human desire to create a different future. It is a story that belongs to 1620. But the idea behind it remains timeless. Every generation has its own people who leave familiar shores in search of something beyond the horizon.

One ship. One voyage. One moment in history.

Perils is Mike Hicks' interpretation of one of the most recognisable voyages in maritime history — combining historical imagery with ornate nautical design to create an artwork that feels both contemporary and rooted in the visual language of the past. It is not intended to be a literal historical reconstruction. It is an artistic interpretation of the people and the journey behind the legend.

Artwork Details

Title: Perils
Artist: Mike Hicks — Spike the Art
Location: Plymouth, Devon, England
Theme: The Mayflower • The Pilgrims • 1620 • The Atlantic Voyage • Exploration
Edition: Limited edition of 500
Authentication: Individually serialised and registered through WooSerialiZe