Slave Ship
Slave Ship Video Link
What do you think about this painting--the style, the subject, the purpose, the painter?
In regards to our discussion on Friday, what connections do you see with this video and Conrad's decision to write Heart of Darkness?
Respond with your own idea then return to comment on a classmate's post.
I think as a whole, the painting resembles a loss of humanity. The selfishness of the "guilty ship" takes over when the typhoon strikes. Instead of being compassionate and caring for the man next to them, the men on the ship didn't even think twice about throwing the slaves overboard. This is the only way they could collect insurance. This proves that money was more important than human life. This idea and way of thinking is so inhumane. The purpose of the painting, I believe, is to expose this lack of humanity and bring awareness to those who didn't know what was occuring on those ships. The way they talked about the style and the colors was really interesting to me. At first glance you see a ship sailing with what looks like a sunset behind it. At a closer look, the sunset evolves into the blood of the overthrown men. The bodies and the shackles become clear, drawing attention to the oranges and the reds. These colors are behind the ship signifying what they are leaving behind. In front of the ship, you see the dark colors. The purples and blues and greys resemble the "death" and shame of the guilty ship. This is what is ahead of them, their fate. In connection to Heart of Darkness, the first thing I think of it Kurtz. He was so willing to take the life of another man (the Russian) just to obtain ivory. Along with this, the description of the natives in the book resemble that of a slave. They were mistreated and shackled together while they worked. If it came down to the Company or the natives, it would be an easy choice for the crew of the steamer.
ReplyDeleteThe connection to the insurance and the true 'cost' of human life was something I debated touching on in my post. I think you summed it up perfectly about the purpose of the painting and "expose this lack of humanity" that was very obvious in both the Heart of Darkness and in the slave traders. The traders convinced themselves the people they were carrying were less than and reduced them to a level that was not human. I think it really shows the evils that people are able to commit when they seperate themselves from their humanity.
DeleteI interpreted it a little differently. The first thing my eyes were drawn to was the beauty of the sunset and nature in the painting, along with the bright colors; however, as I looked closer, the images of the drowning slaves and slave ship in the background came into view. I took this as almost meaning that the beauty was covering up the treachery that was shown in the water, because the sky was the first thing that the viewer would see. I found it interesting how Turner added the sunset in a painting about human devastation and the cruel acts committed by humans for profit; it seemed a bit contradictory, but that's what fueled my interpretation. To relate it to Heart of Darkness, I remembered the part where Marlow is speaking to his aunt about going off to Africa and her stating that he was going to save the savages from their way of life and introduce them to civilization. In my eyes, it was the lie that everyone told themselves to justify going into this foreign land and taking its resources. To me, their true intentions were covered up missionary like ideals, but if you were in the situation itself, you would realize that it's simply for profit, just like the painting.The painting represents the cruelty of humans when profit is in view, and Heart of Darkness replicates the same meaning; however, the sunset and missionary ideals were the curtain pulled in front of it to hide the true intentions.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the idea that the sunset is hiding away the atrocities that are taking place in the same way that people hid their actions behind their excuses and made them out ot be better than they were. I chose to mention it in my post as well. "Missionary ideals" was a good way to describe it. I think it sums up the way that they made their excuses seem like they were trying to help the Africans and spread their religion and culture very well.
DeleteGoing off of what T'nyah said, the first thing I noticed was the sky and the gorgeous colors. As I looked closer, I started seeing the hands, the leg, and shackles floating in the water. This reminded me of the mist in Heart of Darkness where the evils were hidden behind it. Beyond the pretty colors was the darkness and loss of humanity as Sydney said. When the video explained why the slaves were thrown overboard, I thought of Kurtz. I feel like this is something selfish he would have done while believing it was either the only option or right thing to do. Throwing the slaves overboard in order to collect money, the slave owner resembles how Kurtz was in Africa obtaining the most ivory. I feel like this painting reveals that the painter sees both sides of the story. He depicts the dark parts (slaves in the water) and the lighter parts (the sky) of life. Additionally, there are white parts in only the sky and black parts only in the water. I think this shows that, depending on what you are looking for and look, you choose what parts you see. Some people might glance at the painting and only notice its prettier parts while others may only see the darker parts. I, on the other hand, looked at the whole painting together; so perspective is everything.
ReplyDeleteI also touched on the idea of looking closer to see that the "gorgeous" colors were actually the blood and suffering of the slaves. I agree with your connection to Kurtz. If he was willing to kill a friend for ivory, I could only imagine what he would do to a slave. I didn't think of the perspective part of the painting, but I definitely agree with you. If someone doesn't take a closer look at the picture, they won't see the deeper meaning behind the painting.
DeleteI really like the idea of looking into the colors and the matter of perspective. It's something I had barely considered and I think it makes interpreting the piece even more interesting. It's neat to think that different people can see the painting in a completely different way so easily.
DeleteI think this painting represents the duality of people. The European countries were promised endless riches and glory in conquering the peoples and lands of the dark continent yet they were never exposed to, or were ignorant of, the immense suffering that they were indirectly causing. Many people during this time had a hands- off approach, they wanted the money and the land but didn't want to do the dirty work themselves. They pushed these duties onto those beneath them and reaped the benefits. I can see this mindset depicted in the painting. Our eyes are drawn to the beautiful colors and sky, yet the more we look at it and analyze the more we come to realize it is actually a scene of intense suffering.
ReplyDeleteContrast plays a key part in the painting and what the Europeans were doing in Africa. They went under the guise of saviours and heroes. The painting draws your eyes to the warm tones that encompass most of the painting and hide the cooler tones where one can spot the slaves drowning in the storm. I think the artist intentionally hid the meaning of this painting to really draw the viewer in and than have the realization hit them all at once of what they are really seeing.
I agree with the guise of doing good in the region when instead they were exploiting it. I mentioned that in my post and how the missionary sense was the disguise they used to wreak havoc among the natives in order to elevate themselves and profit as well. I also agree with the colors and how the realization hits the reader all at once.
DeleteLooking at the painting, the first thing I notice is the sunset in the distance, and I think that this was very purposeful. The brighter, warmer colors draw the eye to them; plus the sun is almost in the center of the painting making it seem like it is the central focus. The fact that this sunset draws your attention away from all of the terrible things going on around it. To me, this seems purposeful, as if it is supposed to mimic the way that the different countries that took part in these terrible actions made out their missions to be divine and beautiful; but if you look closer, you realize how dark and ugly they are. In the painting, when you look at the darker sections which use bleaker colors, you see the bodies and shackles; and you realize what is truly going on. You see how the ship in the distance has tossed slaves overboard, leaving them to die, either by drowning or by being eaten by fish You can see fish crowding around the bodies if you look closely. There is red in the water, and upon first glance I thought that it was simply the reflection of the sunset on the water; but it is likely the blood of the slaves who had been cast into the ocean, showing more of the ways that the false first impression of beauty hides the atrocities taking place. I like the way that there is a darkness looming over the ship in the distance, using color contrast to imply the terrible atrocities that are happening. In the video about the painting, they speak about the indifference of nature; and I can definitely see that between the typhoon crashing over the ship, seeming to punish the ship at first glance but likely being the reason that the slaves were tossed overboard in the first place since the captain wanted to make sure he could claim insurance, and the fish eating away at the bodies, indifferent to their plight. This painting also definitely relates to Heart of Darkness. With the people on the ship placing money over the lives of the slaves, it mirrors what took place in Africa in the book. It is also similar in the use of colors. Conrad had a looming darkness throughout the story in the same way that there is a darkness hovering over the ship in the painting.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. The saturated colors along the skyline drew my eyes in before the greys and browns did in the water. It distracted me from the grim reality of the situation. I like your connection of darkness between the piece and Conrad's writing. I didn't think of it that way, and I completely agree with you. Both gave me an unnamable discomfort.
DeleteI feel as if the painting highlights a willingness to be oblivious to the odd or even horrific things going on outside of one's personal space. If you box in only skyline, it's stunning. However, if your focus shifts outside of this imaginary box, and break down these walls that "protect" you, you notice the small details that set off alarms. And I believe that this safely oblivious mindset encases Marlow in Heart of Darkness. He looks up towards Kurtz, a man who seems to be legendary, truly oblivious to the sins he has committed. He was adoring of his mere existence. Kurtz could do no harm in his eyes. Kurtz lived under a facade. At least to me. Perhaps this is a reflection of my own despise for a man who exploited natives. Who knows?
ReplyDeleteYes, Jamie!! That was my thought process too. It reminds me of the saying "ignorance is bliss" in a way. People are able to either choose what they see, or they are just oblivious to the nature and depth of awful things going on around them. The ship captain in this way reminded me of Kurtz because I feel as though they both turned a blind eye.
DeleteWow this was a really good way of putting it Jamie! I hadn't thought about it like that but it makes complete sense.
DeleteThe first thing I noticed about the painting was how it almost seemed to be blurred. The outline of the ship could be made out, while the sky and sea merged together into one effortless piece. This immediately reminded me of the recurring mist found in Heart of Darkness. The dark waters in the painting, disguising the horrific scenes that lay beneath, draw striking similarities to the mist covering the jungle when times are nearing their worst. In addition to the ominous mist, the ships each piece follow a similar path. Each of them are trekking into dark waters, leaving beautiful sunsets and civilities behind. You could say they are entering the heart of darkness, which makes sense considering the cruel happenings that both take part in beyond the reach of light. As for what is actually occuring on the painting’s ship, it heavily reminded me of Kurtz. Kurtz is known to have used people as slaves and taken advantage of them for ivory, or money; the same thing is going on here as people are being hurled from the ship, left to be swallowed by the sea. Overall, I interpreted the painting and the novel to both depict the brutality of man for the benefit of oneself, all masked by a force of nature.
ReplyDeleteI agree that both the painting and book show how people can be brutal in order to benefit themselves. Also I see how both had the brutality masked by nature.
DeleteThis painting emulates the impressionistic style that is kind of similar to paintings by Monet and van Gogh; this style focuses on smaller strokes that look abstract up close but shows a stunning image from a distance. (I like art but have limited knowledge on it) The thing that I saw about the painting was that the horrific images of body parts and the like where not painted in the similar style. So whereas the background is rather dreamy the dying slaves serve as a stark contrast to everything else. I thought it was neat how they talked about the painting showing no preference to either the boat or slaves because that triggered my Moby Dick flashbacks. In Moby we saw how everyone got nae naed by the water and whale and that is also happening in this painting. It relates to the book because everyone similarly lost with what occurred in Heart of Darkness. Natives died at the hands of the Europeans, Kurtz kind of lost relevance within the Company, everyone was kind of on board with being terrible while in Africa, and unaware people back home knew nothing of the atrocities that took place to obtain wealth. This relates to the idea of impressionist paintings looking great from a distance but abstract up close; or I guess the dead people in the water in the case of the Slave Ship.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you specifically noted the differing styles between the slave's bodies and the sea in the painting. It stood out to me as well, but I didn't know how to describe it. The comparison to the description of nature in Moby Dick was also intriguing. Nature does not discriminate, but that also means it doesn't have mercy.
DeleteThe two ladies who described the meaning behind the painting definitely hit the nail on the head. The beautiful colors initially hide the horrible reality of the painting. On the surface, nothing seems wrong; when the ship is spotted in the grasp of the typhoon, the initial horror begins. However, the true horror of the painting is only revealed when the audience sees the slaves who were thrown overboard. This is a parallel to the European reaction to the business in Africa. The beauty of more money and and initially dazzles the public; as the practices in Africa are studied more closely, however, the horrors are soon revealed. Specifically relating to the Heart of Darkness, the reflection of nature as both indifferent to the slaves and punishing to the ship is directly parallel to the donkey scene in my opinion. The white men are killed off while the African Americans are collateral damage. Both the painting and Heart of Darkness demand that the audience recognize the immorality of the practices in Africa.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the beautiful colors of the sunset definitely draws the viewers attention away from the horrific view of drowning slaves. I'm not sure if nature is punishing the slave ship though. I think that nature is just completely indifferent to both the slave ship and slaves and also the white men and africans in its destructive actions. Nature has the power to act in any way it wishes and just does not care who is effected.
DeleteThis painting, in my opinion, highlights the multi dimensionality of the world around us. Essentially, we see the depth we want to see. On one hand, there's an amazing sunset blazing above the dull sea. It's a pretty standard subject for a painting, as everyone generally agrees that sunsets are one of the most stunning displays of natural beauty. On the other hand, just below the sea line is the horrific evidence of the disgusting apathy towards human life that slavery fosters. Limbs and blood breaking the surface of a biting tide serve as a reminder of how unnatural and gruesome treatment of others results in death and destruction in the name of personal profit. However, it is the coexistence of these two dynamics that I find interesting. Yes, the world is a beautiful place with many gorgeous sights to be seen, but simultaneously, there can be horrendous cruelty. The contrast is stark, but terrifyingly apt. It is easy to call the painting beautiful for its portrayal of a glorious dusk and easy to call it morbid for its depiction of human cruelty. It is easy to pick a side here. What is not easy is to accept that the world can be both beautiful and cruel in the same stroke-- that humans are not separate from nature but a part of it-- and that these truths are depicted also through Kurtz. He embodied both a horrendous dictator and admired leader. He was an abuser, but was lived by a woman who longed for his return. He exists as an entity ranging across this spectrum all at once.
ReplyDeleteI thought the painting was cool. The sunset was the main focus of the painting, automatically drawing your eyes towards it, making you believe it's just a standard painting of a ship on the ocean. In the corners though, the body parts and chains of the slaves are almost concealed or kept out of focus by the darker colors and blurrier outlines. Ironically, the only thing that really draws attention towards them is the dark shadow that also obscures their view. I definitely agree with the ladies' saying the painting represents nature's indifference towards human affairs. It's brutally drowning the slaves and sending a storm after the slave ship and showing them a beautiful sunset all the while. I think this painting is a lot like Heart of Darkness. The obvious things, like the ship and sunset, are in focus and plainly seen; but the subtle, horrible examples of human evil are pushed to the corner and hidden in the shadow of something good like a sunset.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I realized while reading your post is that nature's apathy extends to all parties concerned here: it doesn't pick a side. The slaves will drown and the slave traders will have to face a storm in which they will most likely sink. It is clear which of these groups has been more greatly wronged by the other, but nature is brutal to both. It almost seems as if the painting also tells us that we are fooling ourselves into making life harder on each other in the name of a superiority that will never surpass the superiority and power of nature itself.
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