I chose to study and analyze J.M.W. Turner’s Slave Ship for this project and found it to be very interesting. Immediately while looking at the piece you get a strong sense of emotion and drama that is being portrayed. There is a lot of depth and warmth in the colors that are used and wide swift brush strokes to create the images. The first image that caught my eye was of waves crashing on the left side of the painting. The white tips of the waves are very noticeable against the softer shades of the ocean. Behind the waves is a ship which is the next part of the painting that drew my attention. The ship seems to be caught in the rough waves of the sea and barely able to keep afloat. There is a glimmer of light from the sun peeking through and then what appears to be objects floating in the water. Without knowing the title of the painting I probably would not have known what these objects were but because the piece is title Slave Ship that leads me to believe that the images in the ocean are supposed to be humans, or slaves, that either fell out of the boat during the rough waves or tried to escape and swim away from the ship.
The most interesting part of the painting is how the artist is able to seamlessly mold all of the images and emotions into one. It almost looks as though the piece was made in one continuous motion. The strokes and the colors used create a very powerful image and create a dramatic reaction for the viewer.
This particular work of art by J.M.W. Turner was created during the romantic time period which originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. This time period was marked by intense emotion and aesthetic experience which revealed emotions of lust, fear, horror, apprehension and ecstasy. Art in this time period varied drastically from work in the Neoclassical or Enlightenment periods, but was much more like Baroque artists in the way that they hoped to inspire an emotional response in those who viewed their art.
After researching the life and artistic career of J.M.W. Turner it is a lot clearer as to why he depicted such an emotional and vivid work of art in Slave Ship. Turner was inspired to paint this piece after reading The History and Abolition of the Slave Trade by Thomas Clarkson. In 1781, the captain of the slave ship “Zong” had ordered 133 slaves to be thrown overboard so that insurance payments could be collected. This event probably inspired Turner to create this artwork. Turner became an advocate for abolishing slavery around the world and even exhibited this painting during an anti-slavery conference (History in an Hour).
Common themes that were seen in the Romantic era, which spanned from the end of the eighteenth century to the beginning of the nineteenth century, were naturalism, Gothicism, emotionalism, and exoticism. Salve Ship definitely portrays some, if not all, of these themes. The most obvious used theme would be emotion. Turner is clearly trying to get an emotional response out of his audience with such a dark and dramatic subject matter in this piece or art. It would be very hard not to have high emotions when looking at it. Work of art from the Romantic time period shares many similarities with work that is seen in the modern world and today’s audience can relate greatly to art from that time. There is a strong sense of emotion and erotic response in art in the modern age and people react strongly to that. Art from romanticism brings out the same emotion and response. After studying the life of J.M.W. Turner and looking more closely at his piece Slave Ship I have a greater sense of appreciation for this work of art. It is a piece that will forever be relevant and have the ability to create a dramatic response and sense of emotion for its audience. It is extremely captivating and the story and history will stay with me for a long time.

References
History in an Hour. (2011, November 29). The Zong Massacre – a summary. Retrieved from http://www.historyinanhour.com/2011/11/29/the-zong-massacre-a- summary/