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The Sailor's Farewell
Published by Robert Sayer on 1 June 1787, this print depicts a sailor saying goodbye to his weeping sweetheart in a rural setting. He holds her as she cries but is already turning towards the ship waiting in the distance. On the left, two onlookers watch the scene from a cottage. The illustration is accompanied by a poem, which describes a sailor parting from his love and promising to return with wealth and fame.
The sailor’s farewell from his weeping sweetheart was a common subject of sentimental prints in the eighteenth century. Such images often presented sailors as courageous, sacrificing the comforts of home either for national duty or in a bid to transform their fortunes.
The sailor’s farewell from his weeping sweetheart was a common subject of sentimental prints in the eighteenth century. Such images often presented sailors as courageous, sacrificing the comforts of home either for national duty or in a bid to transform their fortunes.
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Object Details
| ID: | PAF4031 |
|---|---|
| Collection: | Fine art |
| Type: | |
| Display location: | Not on display |
| Creator: | Sayer, Robert; Sayer, Robert Simon, J Simon, J. |
| Date made: | 1 Jun 1787 |
| Credit: | National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London |
| Measurements: | Sheet: 390 x 270 mm; Mount: 404 mm x 559 mm |