1961.69.171
The Lusitania in Dock
Artist
John Sloan
(Loch Haven, Pennsylvania, 8/27/1871 - 9/7/1951, Hanover, New Hampshire)
Title
The Lusitania in Dock
Creation Date
1908
Dimensions
14 5/16 in. x 18 9/16 in. (36.4 cm. x 47.1 cm.)
Object Type
print
Creation Place
North America, United States
Medium and Support
lithograph on paper
Credit Line
Bequest of George Otis Hamlin
Copyright
This artwork may be under copyright. For further information, please consult the Museum’s
Copyright Terms and Conditions.
Accession Number
1961.69.171
During the first decade of the twentieth century, luxury ocean liners captured the imagination of people around the world as symbols of decadence and modernity, as seen by the dramatic depiction of the RMS Lusitania by John Sloan. Not only was the RMS Lusitania the largest ship at the time of its maiden voyage in 1907, measuring 787 feet and 31,550 tons, but it was also the fastest, clocking in an average 24 knots (27.6 mph) during its transatlantic voyages. Travel between Europe and the Americas became increasingly dangerous by February 1915, as World War I intensified and Germany announced unrestricted submarine warfare against any ships sailing in war zones. The U-boat attack on the Lusitania on May 7, 1915 killed 1,198 of the 1,959 passengers and crewmembers that day, including 128 Americans. To justify the attack, Germany claimed that British passenger ships secretly carried war munitions. In this case, it was later confirmed that 173 tons of ammunitions were, in fact, onboard the Lusitania, which helped contribute to the ship’s rapid descent after the first torpedo strike.
Additional Media
recto, with border of print