After a Long Cruise

John Carlin

1857 · Oil on canvas · The American Wing

Born deaf and mute, Carlin initially pursued a career as a painter of portrait miniatures, later turning his attention to genre and landscape scenes. He was untiring in his efforts on behalf of people who shared his condition and helped to establish the National Deaf-Mute College (now Gallaudet University) in Washington, D.C., in 1864. "After a Long Cruise," a comic view of daily life on a dock, displays the bawdy humor popular at midcentury. Three drunken sailors wreak havoc by accosting a well-dressed black woman and knocking over a fruit-and-nut vendor’s stand. Carlin’s attention to detail, seen especially in the costumes and ships’ riggings, and his use of vibrant color are striking.

Artist

John Carlin

Date

1857

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Maria DeWitt Jesup Fund, 1949