Humanities

Humani�es Task 2

Work: J.M.W Tuner, Slave Ship, 1840 (Bri�sh Painter)

Period: Roman�cism

A1) Ini�al Thoughts

This pain�ng looks similar to the movie Amistad, where the slave owners overloaded the boat with

slaves. Then as the storm came and the boat was ,lling with water, the crew started to through the

women over the board in to the sea because most likely they were less valuable and keeping the adult

males for the upcoming hard labor.

A2) Aspect of Interest

Couldn’t help but focus on what appears to be a female leg in the right lower corner of the picture and

mul�ple small hands s�cky out s�ll �ed together with rope, indica�ng that the women and children had

less value in terms of working hard labor and earning money to the slave owners.

B1) Historical Context of the Period

This image is from the culture of slavery and aboli�on during the Roman�c Period, which was ar�s�c,

literary, musical, cultural, and intellectual movement that originated in England in the 18 th

Century.

American Civil War between the north and south from 1861-1865, southern slave state declare war

against the north forming the Confederate States of America. England eliminated slavery in the 19 th

Century, abolishing the slave trade in 1807, ending the actual in 1834.

B2) Biographical Insights into the Work

Born on April 23 rd

, 1775, in England, Joseph Mallord William Turner was a sick child that was raised by his

uncle and started his ar�s�c career there (Biography.com). Turner painted “The Slave Ship in 1840” a;er

he read Thomas Clarkson’s Book. The history and aboli�on of the slave trade in which the captain of the

slave ship was ordered to throw slaves overboard to collect insurance payments. Turner being

aboli�onist, believing slavery should be outlawed, he expressed himself in his pain�ng using vivid red

and cool blue colors focusing on nature. A statement that nature is superior to man. Possibly

represen�ng Turner’s reac�on to the Industrial Revela�on and maybe a hidden message against

explora�on of slaves and human for labor instead economic advancement, represen�ng by the storm

approaching the ship. He exhibited “The Slave Ship: at the an�-slavery conference to increase Briskish

ant-slavery movements

(B.Carey eta al.(eds), Discourses of Slavery and Aboli�on).

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