The Slave Ship; ; Throwing Overboard the Dead and Dying, Typhoon Coming on

The Slave Ship (Slavers Throwing Overboard the Dead and Dying, Typhoon Coming on) is an excellent example of J.M.W. Turner's distinct Romantic style. Exhibited at Royal Academy in 1840, this work depicts a well-known affair from the early 1780’s, when British slave traders threw sick slaves into the ocean in order to meet the requirements for damages from insurers; they would receive nothing for slaves who died of natural causes on board. The subject matter was still relevant when this work painted in 1840, for although slave trading was abolished in Britain in 1807, the practice of owning slaves continued. Also, the painting could be a general condemnation of the violence and cruelty inflicted by humankind for the sake of greed and ambition. The black masts of the ship appear in the distance and shackled arms and legs thrash about in the tumultuous waves and become subject to fierce fish. The artist’s loose, vigorous brushstrokes create a chaos of brilliant color and energetic movement that makes the subject matter somewhat difficult to discern, while also heightening the dramatic emotion of the incident. Turner's unique Romantic style depicts the loss of humanity in ""The Slave Ship"" his ghoulish representation of slavery and the American slave trade. Here, the dead and dying castaways sink to the bottom of teh rough sea. ; 2' 11-11/16'' x 4' 5/16''