Question

Slave Ship (Slavers Throwing Overboard the Dead and Dying, Typhoon Coming On) is a painting created by J.M.W. Turner during the Romanticism period in 1850 C.E. What is the form of this painting?

1) Vast seascape with intense colors and turbulent, painterly brushstrokes
2) Instead of recognizable subject matter, Turner evokes direct emotion through abstraction
3) Oranges and reds at center appear to be beautiful sunset
4) Bottom depicts violence and horror with swirls of dark waves

Answer 1

J.M.W. Turner's 'Slave Ship' is characterized by a vast seascape, intense colors, and turbulent brushstrokes, which reflect the Romantic era's fascination with the sublime and the emotional impact of natural and human conditions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The form of J.M.W. Turner's Slave Ship (Slavers Throwing Overboard the Dead and Dying, Typhoon Coming On) combines elements of naturalism and a Romantic sensibility with its vast seascape, intense colors, and turbulent, painterly brushstrokes. Even though Turner utilizes abstraction to convey emotion, the scene depicted in Slave Ship is recognizable and does contain violent and horrific imagery, particularly in the waves at the bottom of the canvas. The central colors may evoke a sunset, but they are part of a scene that is charged with emotional and political commentary. This method of utilizing sublime elements to reflect the enormity of nature and the human condition is typical of Turner's later works.