The Slave Ship
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"The Slave Ship" or "Slavers throwing overboard the Dead and Dying — Typhoon coming on" is a painting by the British artist J.M.W. Turner, first exhibited in 1840.
The subject of the painting is the practice of 19th century slave traders who would throw the dead and dying human 'cargo' overboard during the middle passage in the Atlantic Ocean in order that they might claim the insurance for 'drowning'. By painting such an emotive subject Turner was attempting to assist in the abolitionist campaign. The violent power of the sea and the strange sea creatures represent the forces of nature punishing the guilty. The painting was widely admired for its use of color and the way in which sea and sky merge around the distant ship. In the lower portion of the painting, hands of black slaves can be seen still shackled. The painting is currently on display at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, USA.[1]
