For sailors, this bird is associated with the land, home, relatives and loved ones because it lives on the coast. The appearance of seagulls on the ship from ancient times is a good and good omen, it brings good luck and promises a speedy return home. The gull tattoo is an essential attribute not only for sailors, but also for fishermen. The sketch of the seagull tattoo is performed, as a rule, in color, and put the image on the shoulder, chest, back and other places.
For the latter, the image of this bird on the body is a symbol of successful fishing, a great catch. After all, who but a seagull is the most nimble and skilled fisherman? Fishermen believe that the tattoo is also an indication of great skill in their trade. For sailors, it is a reminder of home and land life, of being loved and welcomed there.
For prisoners, the symbolism of this bird is about wasted time and regret; it is also about dreams of long-awaited freedom and independence. More often than not, these concepts are invested in the image of a seagull flying over the waves of the sea. A seagull against a shield - speaks of a strong friendship before imprisonment.
As for the free and law-abiding people, the meaning of the seagull tattoo on their body can be interpreted as a love of freedom and adventure, self-confidence, vanity and to some extent impermanence. It is useless for them to put obstacles, they do not recognize prohibitions and easily overcome obstacles, "fly where they want", respect their opinions and seek their goals with the speed of the wind.
The gull tattoo also speaks of the power of flight of the soul, height of spirit and high spirituality, lightness and innocence. As a migratory bird, a seagull can be associated with infidelity, treason. Some put in the meaning of its image a sense of desperate revenge. Sadly known behavior of seagulls in relation to the future offspring of other birds - they mercilessly throw their eggs from a great height down.
Nevertheless, the meaning of the seagull tattoo has many bright, kind and, in general, positive meanings. This bird is the embodiment of innocence, youth and first love. For someone it is a reminder of pleasant moments spent on the seashore, of strong feelings and experiences somehow related to the sea. This tattoo is often chosen by indefatigable travelers, as well as strong-minded, free and independent people.
A seagull is a bird that easily adapts to life in the human world. Often these birds live close to human settlements, and take advantage of all the benefits that such proximity gives them. Therefore, among all other meanings, a tattoo depicting a seagull can talk about easy adaptability and good communication skills of its owner.
And remember: whatever the sketch of a seagull tattoo is, the main thing is that it should be unique! Below are pictures of seagull tattoos from different masters.
The maritime theme is very close to people of maritime professions and those who spend most of their lives on the water. However, the seagull tattoo can increasingly be seen in those who have nothing to do with the sea. What does such a body art mean?
Omen about seagulls
Our ancestors treated the image of seagulls ambiguously. The appearance of the bird was both a good omen and a sign of approaching misfortune. An ancient legend says that a woman was so sorrowful for her dead spouse that one day she turned into a seagull. Since then, the bird has been associated with the grief of the loss of loved ones who were swallowed by the depths of the sea.
Fishermen and people of maritime professions have a special attitude to seagulls. There is an omen that if three seagulls are circling over the ship, then death will not escape the person over whose head they fly. It was believed that the souls of drowned sailors inhabit the birds and do not fly away from the place of shipwreck for a long time.
A seagull flying in front of windows meant danger for a loved one who was on a voyage. And if it flew into the house - it means that he can no longer be saved.
Seagulls also predicted the weather. The omen says that if birds fly far from the sea, there will be storm and strong winds, so it is better to refrain from walks. These birds also helped fishermen to mark the place for a good catch: where there are most seagulls, there is a lot of fish. For seafarers, the appearance of birds signaled the approach of land.
Seagull - a kind of bird
Seagull is a wild bird. It is widely distributed in Europe. This bird always neighbors with humans and benefits from it. Therefore, its appearance in the sea indicates the proximity of the coast, on inland waters - a populated area. Seagulls inhabiting the coasts of Russia are large birds. Their length is 54-60 cm and weight is 720-1500 g. Two species of gulls, much smaller than marine species, occur on inland water bodies of the European part of Russia. These are the Lake Gull and the Lesser Gull. The Lake Gull is 35-39 cm long and weighs 200-350 g; the Lesser Gull is 24-28 cm long and weighs about 100 g. Common features of plumage are white back, belly and tail. Species are distinguished by the inclusion of black plumage on the head (small gull), head and tail (lake gull); gray plumage on the wings and black on the tail (herring gull). Gulls are unusually active and shouty. They make sharp and cracking sounds, resembling a resounding "carr", which is repeated at short intervals. The repetition of the "keck" signal makes the gull's cry resemble a laugh (1).
Who is suitable for the tattoo
The seagull tattoo symbolizes freedom, determination, adaptability. The owner of such a natal drawing - the nature of self-confident, creative, fickle and freedom-loving. Such a person does not like the hustle and bustle of daily life, easily changes places of residence, loves traveling and new experiences.
Seagulls live close to people and do not mind to profit at other people's expense. So the bearer of such a tattoo can live at the expense of others and take advantage of their benefits. At the same time, he does not tolerate competition and is able to cruelly deal with opponents. If it is a question of career and professional skill - he will do everything to succeed in his direction. His goal is to prove that he is the best.
Not always such grand plans carry over into real life. Sometimes a tattoo with this bird indicates that the person is at the beginning of his journey and is overcoming internal barriers to become what he wants to see himself become. A tattoo of a seagull in the zone means that the person is wasting time and is raring to go free.
"The Seagull" is a play by A. P. Chekhov
"The Seagull" is a comedy in four acts by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. The play was written in 1895-1896. It premiered on October 17, 1896 at the St. Petersburg Alexandrinsky Theater (1). This is a play about the confrontation between the young and old generations in the arts. Representatives of the younger generation, Nina Zarechnaya and Konstantin Treplev, seek to find themselves in the arts. Nina dreams of becoming an actress, while Konstantin dreams of becoming a playwright. Treplev puts on a home play, where Nina plays the lead role. The spectators are representatives of the high school - Treplev's mother actress Arkadina and her husband, the famous writer, Trigorin. During the performance, Arkadina makes fun of the lines and special effects, thus disrupting the performance. Treplev is hurt. He has yet another drama to endure: he loves Nina, but the girl is in love with Trigorin, with whom she soon leaves for Moscow. Two years in Moscow brought Nina no happiness: her child died, Trigorin abandoned her, and she never discovered her talent. Having met Treplev, she again refuses to love him, saying that only now she understood what it means to be a real actress. Nina leaves for the provinces. And Treplev, not finding himself either in love or in art, shoots himself.
Performance technique
Nude drawings of birds, animals and plants prefer to perform in the style of realism. Realistic tattoo of seagulls (see photo in the gallery) due to the detailing, clear tracing and rich color palette looks very effective. The tattooist must have an outstanding artistic talent to naturally display all elements of the composition. The symbolical significance of such tattoo is absent, but it is a fine ornament.
The same can be said about the tattoo in the style of watercolor. The similar technique is usually preferred by girls because of the tenderness and airiness of the image. The sketch of tattoo with a seagull, hovering over the sea surface, is a favorite subject. It can be worn on the arm, back, forearm or collarbone. Miniature tattoo on the wrist also suits the fair sex and will advantageously emphasize their fragility and beauty.
Video about common tattoos
Photos of finished work
Selection of sketches
The flight of seagulls, clean and free, always evokes sadness and at the same time joy at the sight of this independent bird.
Often seagulls live in the sea, but you can also hear their welcoming cry in ordinary bodies of water. They try to stay close to people, because such proximity benefits them. These beautiful birds are good swimmers and are considered to be excellent hunters, because no fisherman can catch fish as skillfully as seagulls do.
Options, styles, combinations
The drawing of seagulls on the body can be made in different variations. It all depends on your tastes and preferences, as well as the hidden meaning. Among the possible options that are popular among men and girls:
- A seagull in flight;
- sitting on a branch;
- with wings spread;
- several small seagulls;
- a feather.
The most common is the image of a flying gull, which best reflects the spirit of the sea and adventure. It soars freely over the ocean, confronting the elements, catching gusts of wind. Staying on the beach, you can often see the bird circling around a single point. It seems to be just flapping its wings, but this is how it tracks its prey.
Next to the feathered bird, the artist can depict the sun, the sky, the water surface or any other details that will make the composition complete. Fans of minimalism are entitled to refuse unnecessary "decorations". The picture can be colored (for example, in the watercolor style) or monochrome, made with the use of contour technique.
Do you wish to show individuality in the choice of a bird tattoo, and at the same time you like a seagull? The original idea is to give preference to a drawing of only a feather. The feathers of these birds have a number of unique characteristics - they cannot be confused with others. They are concise and beautiful at the same time. The feather looks best on the wrist, ankle or in the collarbone area.
Where to get a tattoo of a seagull?
There are several important factors to consider when choosing a tattoo parlor. The first one is the qualification of the specialist. Next on the list - the quality of equipment, availability of reviews and portfolio. Be sure to observe the norms of sterility and safety. Avoid masters who provide services at home. It is better to perform such manipulations in the specially prepared room, because even a small tattoo includes damage to the skin.
Decide on the place of the future tattoo in advance. Perhaps you want to choose for it a secluded place, hidden from prying eyes. Or on the contrary, you wish the new decoration on your body to be seen by everyone who passes by. An experienced professional will be pleased to advise the client where the design will look most advantageous. Remember, tattoos do not happen a lot. The main thing is to approach this art with intelligence and good taste. Enjoy your sessions and amazing results!
Recommended reading: Sickle and Hammer Tattoo
History of Creation
The history of the writing of the play "The Seagull" contains interesting facts:
- Work on the play began in 1895 at Chekhov's family homestead, Melekhovo. The descriptions of the setting are very similar to the writer's dacha landscapes.
- In creating the characters, Chekhov drew heavily on the biographies of his contemporaries. There are references to the biographies of the painter Levitan, the writer Avilova, and Chekhov's acquaintance Mizinova.
- Chekhov's own personality is reflected in three characters at once - Trigorin, Treplev and Dorn.
The Seagull is a symbolic image in Chekhov's play
There is a scene in Chekhov's play where Treplev brings a shot seagull from a lake. He foretells that he will soon kill himself as he did this seagull. Later, returning from Moscow, it is Nina who calls herself a seagull. In the finale, before Treplev's suicide, the seagull appears again, only already in the form of a stuffed animal. All images of seagulls in the play are symbolic.
Presumably Treplev was holding either a lake gull or a small gull. Its small size underscores the "specific weight" of the representative of the new current in art. Treplev, a young playwright painfully searching for new forms, has not yet decided on a concept. Like a seagull roaring in the fog, Treplev intuitively senses the need for change. But he is unable to overcome the pressure of his mother, a representative of the reactionary current. "You routinarians have seized supremacy in art and consider legitimate and real only what you do yourself, and the rest you oppress and strangle! - Treplev rebels against his mother and the successful writer Trigorin. Treplev calls the murder of the seagull a meanness. Most likely, this meanness in relation to himself. Since the seagull is associated with the human soul, to "kill the soul" in the context of Treplev's drama is to kill the desire to create, to kill the ability to love. Also the dead seagull symbolizes the collapse of hope for renewal, for creative realization and a full life in art. Accordingly, the stuffed seagull embodies the spiritual emptiness of the hero, and in the context of the development of art - the pressure of form over content, the excessive theatricality, the affectation of play.
Despite the fact that Treplev was the first to compare himself with a seagull, critics call Nina Zarechnaya the seagull in the first place. This has a number of explanations. First, the seagull has always been considered a female image. Secondly, transformation into a seagull in the legends was due to unhappy love or self-sacrifice. Repeating the fate of the heroines of legends, Nina remained faithful to the love of Trigorin and refusing to union with Treplev, brings its selfish interests (family, fame) in sacrifice to the art. The decision to go to a provincial theater is akin to a seagull. Form loses its significance for the actress, only the depth of the content remains. Thirdly, the image of a seagull soaring in the sky is most often associated with freedom. For Nina, freedom in the new vision is creativity. It is not without reason that the heroine's monologue has a refrain: speaking of herself as a seagull, Nina immediately switches her gaze from suffering to art: "I am a seagull!...What am I about? Yes... Turgenev" (7,188) "I am a seagull!...What am I about? I am an actress!" (7, 189) "I am a seagull!...What am I about? I'm talking about the stage..." (7, 190).
It should be noted that the image of the seagull conveys the character of both characters to details. Thus, the gull's light plumage symbolizes the purity of Konstantin and Nina's intentions, the black flecks in the plumage - their mistakes and mental weakness. The cries of the seagull, loud, harsh, longing, and in a moment of anxiety resembling laughter, tear at the soul in the same way as the monologues of Treplev and Zarechnaya. The dramatism of the characters' fates, at first glance, goes against Chekhov's declared genre - the comedy. However, upon close reading, the self-irony of the characters becomes clear when they talk about their lives as if they were an ordinary story about a seagull that was accidentally shot by a man. Nina's recollections of her life with Trigorin, her confession of love for him, her thoughts about her dead son, her understanding of her mediocre acting, and immediately her memories of the first performance as something bright and unique-all of this is constantly interrupted by a dotted line and creates an association with the bitter laughter of a seagull.
Themes
The themes of the play "The Seagull" are dramatic and topical:
- Art
- The main theme of the work. People of art in the novel are shown as unhappy, selfish and very contradictory people. According to Chekhov, true creativity is an extremely difficult process, and not everyone can endure such a life. She, this life, will have to sacrifice family, love, and himself. - Talent
- Chekhov is inclined to believe that it is talent that plays a huge role in the world of art; a person deprived of talent, but still trying to create, can hardly achieve anything at all, but only harms himself. A spark of talent cannot be the result of free will; it is given by someone or something from above and cannot be controlled. - Love
- Love is shown in the play as an extremely dangerous thing, which in most cases brings only suffering. But it is worth it, because it gives grains of happiness, not available to such cold and selfish people like Trepleva. - Fathers and Children
- Through Treplev's relationship with his mother, Chekhov demonstrates the chasm that lies between different generations of intellectuals and different natures. The indifference and alienation that reign in family relationships are explained by the fact that the priests of art think more of themselves than of the housemates.
If you are not satisfied with the list of topics or problems, ask the Many-Wise Litrecon to expand it.
Composition and Conflict
The composition of the work is classic. The play is divided into four acts.
- The first act is dedicated to the exposition, which reveals the backstory and introduces the main characters involved.
- The second act is the beginning of the plot and the main conflict begins to take shape.
- The third act is reserved for the climax, when the conflict reaches its highest point.
- The fourth act is the finale, in which the conflict is resolved and all story lines come to their logical conclusion.
The main feature of Chekhov's conflict in The Seagull is that at first glance there is no conflict in the play. The characters argue, sometimes quarrel among themselves, but in the end it does not affect their relationship in any way, because throughout the play the main characters struggle with themselves, their doubts and desires.
The main conflict of The Seagull is the clash between Nina's dream and reality: her mediocrity and false hope of love with Trigorin.
Meaning for men and girls
The seagull tattoo is common among both ladies and young men. Each person puts its own meaning into the tattoo, but most often the bird symbolizes the love of freedom. The owners of such a tattoo have their own vision of the world, do not recognize the conventional stereotypes and rules. In their actions, they rely on intuition and live in harmony with their own moral values.
Girls prefer a tattoo of several birds of small size. As a rule, it is a black and white version of the tattoo with elements of a simple shape. Most often such a picture is applied on the shoulder blades, arms and neck.
Men choose an image of a single seagull of a larger size. Usually the picture is depicted in color, drawing out all the details. With a single bird tattoo, young people communicate that they are unique and independent of public opinion.
Where is the best place to depict a tattoo
As mentioned above, seabird tattoos come in male and female. They are placed on the body, without any restrictions. For example, in guys, the tattoo can be done:
- On the arm;
- on the chest;
- on the back;
- on the shin.
Girls have found more places to place free-loving birds, these beautiful creatures can be:
- on the back;
- on the thigh;
- on the forearm;
- on the lower back;
- on the leg.
To picture looks great on any body, must first think through everything. To do this you should contact a professional tattoo shop, the specialists who will hold the necessary consultations, and answer all your questions: "What does this or that tattoo mean?" etc.
Each highly qualified master has her own portfolio, in which you can find various sketches of her photos, large and small images of various tattoos.
Most importantly, whatever the design of the seagull tattoo, it should be unique, not like everyone else's. A good master will always advise the best options.
The basic idea
Chekhov showed his readers the decay to which the Russian intelligentsia in the late nineteenth century was subjected, wallowing in philistinism and indifference, turning from the driving force of society into ballast. The meaning of the play "The Seagull" is to show the underside of the life of the people of art, before whom everyone worships. They are slaves to success and recognition as well as their gift. Their personal lives are unhappy because they are obsessed only with themselves and their accomplishments. Seeing them, we pay tribute to the pleasant picture behind which the real anguish of creativity is hidden. The same Nina, trampled by publicity and criticism, sacrificed everything for the sake of the public, but got only a spit in her soul. Such is the life of creative people: they are nothing without recognition and approval.
The author encourages people to look at life sensibly. Not to succumb to infantilism and do not ruin your life, seeking to be something that you are not. The main idea of the play "The Seagull" - the need to objectively assess themselves and their capabilities. Nina saw only the glittering life of an artist with a chic exterior trim, but the underside proved to be for her an unbearable burden. She chased after fame and adulation, but did not think about the price to be paid for it.
The meaning of the title
The title of the play uses one of its main symbols, the seagull. In world culture, this symbol denotes the freedom of the spirit and the sublimity of dreams. This meaning fits the description of the main character, Nina. However, the tragic ending of her quest underscores the meaning of the title of The Seagull. It symbolizes the destruction of dreams, unfulfilled hopes, and the loneliness of a man who cannot find himself in this world.
Putting this symbol in the place of the title, Chekhov emphasizes this message and highlights the tragedy of the play "The Seagull" - the collision of dreams with vulgar and cruel reality.
