In the Bows of the Great Eastern: The Cable Broken and Lost, Preparing to Grapple, August 2nd, 1865 1865

Robert Charles Dudley’s 1865 watercolor painting "In the Bows of the Great Eastern: The Cable Broken and Lost, Preparing to Grapple, August 2nd, 1865," depicts a dramatic moment in the history of the Great Eastern, a pioneering steamship, as it attempted to lay a transatlantic telegraph cable. The artwork captures the tension of the situation as sailors prepare to grapple with the broken cable, with the ship’s massive hull and the choppy waters providing a sense of scale and urgency. This intricate and historically significant artwork is a testament to Dudley’s meticulous detail and ability to capture the dynamism of maritime life.