Created by
Lieutenant Hawker, Henry Samuel, English, 1816 - 1889
Date
May 1838
Medium
watercolor on paper (fiber product)
Dimensions
H x W: 11 3/8 x 17 1/8 in. (28.9 x 43.5 cm)
Caption
The slave ship Diligente was engaged in the illegal slave trade when it was seized in 1838. A lieutenant in the British Royal Navy painted this scene from the ship. He captured the trauma of the Middle Passage in images of malnutrition and overcrowding.
Source: Nancy Bercaw, Curator, Slavery and Freedom
Description
A watercolor painting of a slave ship showing five crew members with multiple enslaved persons crowded on the weather deck. A Portuguese flag flies from the ship and the sketched outline of another ship is visible in the background.
Place depicted
Jamaica, Caribbean, North and Central America
Portugal, Europe
Nassau, Bahamas, Caribbean, North and Central America
Classification
Visual Arts
Slavery and Freedom Objects
Type
watercolors
Topic
Africa
Art
Law
Military
Slavery
Trans Atlantic slave trade
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2010.21.2ab
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5320730ca-6bd4-41e9-ac93-5ccf375e79ad

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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