The Sailor's Return

This print depicts a sailor returning home to his family’s cottage. His wife faints in shock at the sight of him, and he drops his bundle and wraps his arms around her waist to support her. Their two children rush attentively to her side. In the distance a ship is at anchor. The sailor’s return home was a common trope in maritime imagery, often featuring a joyous reunion of family in a rural setting. Such imagery implied that domestic bliss was a reward for brave and dutiful sailors. Here, the woman’s fainting makes the reunition more emotional and melodramatic.