A Conversation at Sea
Description
Watercolor on paper drawing of "A Conversation at Sea", March 10, 1797, from the Latrobe Sketchbooks, by Benjamin Henry Latrobe. Following the death of his wife and emotional breakdown, Latrobe decided to emigrate from England to the United States in 1795. Following a difficult four-month journey across the Atlantic, he landed in Norfolk, Virginia on March 20, 1796. This sketch shows two closely passing sailing ships, one called "Tabitha of Salem", and two sailors communicating to one another through voice pipes, just ten days before Latrobe's ship arrived in the United States.
Date
1797-03-10