Ship in Distress

Raden Saleh, Ship in Distress, 1842, oil on canvas, 38 x 44 cm, collection of National Heritage Board

Ship in Distress captures the perils of sea voyage in the nineteenth century as the ship in the foreground is tossed among the turbulent waves. Some objects from the ship such as a barrel are thrown overboard, heightening the suspense as we are left to wonder if the ship might survive the storm. The sails have been rolled up, a standard procedure for ships encountering a storm to prevent the sails from ripping due to the strong winds. There is no clear sign of life on the ship as the waves pound its deck. But another distant ship in the background offers a glimmer of hope for survivors, or will both ships share similar fates at the bottom of the sea?

Raden Saleh was born in the early nineteenth century (academic text cites either 1811 or 1813 as the year of birth), into the Bupati family of Semarang. In 1829, Raden Saleh sailed to the Netherlands to continue his studies in painting. He travelled around Europe, studying the genre of portrait painting under Cornelis Kruseman and landscape painting under Andreas Schelfhout. Raden Saleh enjoyed great success during his time in Europe and made many friends in high places. The Dutch king Willem II conferred Raden Saleh the title of ‘Painter of King’.