Tightening the Tiller Ropes. 6 x 9 inches. Drawn by E. J. Gregory (1850–1909). Engraver unknown. The Graphic (18 February 1871): 156. This is an illustration for ‘A Gale in the Bay of Biscay.’ Click on image to enlarge it/
Gregory, a painter and illustrator, specialized in scenes on board ships – an approach which differs from most marine painting. In this design the artist uses diagonals, dynamic movement and perspective effects to create the ship’s churning instability. In a period when the sheer hardness of labouring life was anatomized by bourgeois commentators, the scene epitomizes the struggles of the working classes, who (in contrast to the unemployed) are often shown as heroic figures working for the greater good. Click on image to enlarge it
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Image scan and text by Simon Cooke. [You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned the image and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. — George P. Landow]
Last modified 2 September 2018