The Slave Ship is a painting by Philip Ralley which was uploaded on January 23rd, 2014.
The Slave Ship
The Slave Ship formerly Slavers Throwing overboard the Dead and Dying Typhoon coming on by J. M. W. Turner was first exhibited in 1840; it is now in... more
Title
The Slave Ship
Artist
Philip Ralley
Medium
Painting - Oil On Canvas
Description
"The Slave Ship" formerly "Slavers Throwing overboard the Dead and Dying Typhoon coming on" by J. M. W. Turner was first exhibited in 1840; it is now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In this classic example of a Romantic maritime painting, Turner depicts a ship, visible in the background, sailing through a tumultuous sea of churning water and leaving scattered human forms floating in its wake.
J. M. W. Turner was inspired to paint "The Slave Ship" in 1840 after reading The History and Abolition of the Slave Trade by Thomas Clarkson. It is believed to portray an incident in 1781 when the captain of the slave ship Zong ordered 133 slaves to be thrown overboard so that insurance payments could be collected. Turner chose to coincide its exhibition with a meeting of the British Anti-Slavery Society. Placed next to the painting were lines from Turner's own untitled poem, written in 1812:
"Aloft all hands, strike the top-masts and belay;
Yon angry setting sun and fierce-edged clouds
Declare the Typhon's coming.
Before it sweeps your decks, throw overboard
The dead and dying ne'er heed their chains
Hope, Hope, fallacious Hope!
Where is thy market now?"
Uploaded
January 23rd, 2014