Sailors and 12 Apostles. (caricature)

In this print, three sailors and two female companions stroll through London, passing St Paul’s Cathedral. One sailor wears red striped trousers and a yellow necktie, and another has blue striped trousers and a red necktie and holds a walking stick. Both sailors wear straw hats with blue ribbons that read ‘Nelson’. The third sailor is hidden behind the other two. One of the women wears a grey overcoat and a white bonnet with a pink feather. The other wears an orange overcoat and a green hat. The women smile and look towards the sailors, who look and gesture at the cathedral. The title, ‘Sailors and 12 Apostles’, is printed above the image. The image is captioned as follows: ‘As some sailors were passing by St. Paul's Cathedral; One of them pointing to the statues, asked who those Gemmen were? “The twelve apostles to be sure” answered another; “How can that be” said a third, “as why there are only six of them?” “Shiver my timbers” replied the first, “would you have them all on Deck at Once”’. Beneath the caption the publication information reads: ‘London. Printed for Bowles & Carver, 69, St. Paul’s Church Yard. 2 Jan. 1806’.

This is a satirical print that pokes fun at the logic of sailors. Aboard ships, crews operated in watches. Half the crew would rest while the other half worked. In the print, the sailors assume that the statues adorning St.Paul’s Cathedral operate according to these maritime rules, evoking the stereotype of sailors as uneducated and unsophisticated when viewing urban landmarks..