(US Dept. of Transportation) U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today announced the newly restored “Christ on the Water” painting has been returned to its place of prominence at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA).
The move was celebrated during an unveiling ceremony that took place in Wiley Hall, with remarks given by USMMA Acting Superintendent Captain Tony Ceraolo, Historian Dr. Josh Smith, and Midshipman First Class Colin Mushorn.
For nearly 80 years, this historic painting hung in the Elliot M. See Room of Wiley Hall before being disrespectfully relocated in 2023 to the flood-prone basement of the Academy’s chapel by the previous administration. Secretary Duffy promised earlier this year to bring the painting up from out of the basement.
“Burying this historic painting in the basement wasn’t just a mistake—it was an insult to the faith and legacy of service that built this Academy and our nation,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “By restoring ‘Christ on the Water’ to its rightful place, we sent a clear message to our midshipmen: their Christian faith is a virtue to be proud of, not something to be censored.”
“I want to thank Secretary Duffy for his continued support of our Academy and the midshipmen who call this place home,” said U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Acting Superintendent Captain Tony Ceraolo.
“Our purpose today is to preserve a piece of the Academy’s cultural and historical legacy. We honor the past and the resilience of those who came before us. This painting is about history, remembrance, and hope ensuring that the story of our midshipmen and their wartime experiences remain part of our shared institutional memory.”
The restoration of this historic painting, which depicts Jesus guiding sailors through stormy seas, symbolizes President Trump and Secretary Duffy’s commitment to protecting expressions of faith, honoring USMMA’s proud legacy, and celebrating patriotic duty to the nation.
Additional Information:
History of the Painting:
Also known as “Jesus and Lifeboat,” this painting by noted marine artist LT Hunter Wood, USMS, portrays merchant seamen adrift in a lifeboat, presumably after being torpedoed. Wood painted it in 1944 for the chapel being built at the U.S. Merchant Marine Cadet Basic School in San Mateo, California, as a tribute to all merchant seamen, especially to cadet-midshipmen (as they were then known) who had been torpedoed during World War II. The figure holding the tiller wears a midshipman’s combination cover (hat) with its distinctive anchor device. Other notable details include the tattoos on the arms of one seafarer. Somewhat unusually, the painting is on what appears to be sail canvas, likely used marine paints, and the varnish seems to have been spar varnish. Wartime shortages of artist supplies partly explain these materials, but Wood seems to have liked using marine materials for his artwork. To date, no statement by the artist has emerged about this painting to explain its composition, but maritime historian Frank Braynard described it as Wood’s most ambitious work. Due to budgetary constraints, the San Mateo campus closed in 1947, and the painting came to Kings Point, where it was installed in the chapel in Wiley Hall, which served as the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy’s interfaith chapel from 1942 to 1961. The painting remained there for decades until the Academy moved the artwork to the lower level of the Mariners’ Memorial Chapel in 2023, after having it professionally conserved and cleaned.
History of the Artist:
Hunter Alexander Wood (1908-1948) was the son of famous marine painter Worden George Wood. At age seventeen, Wood commenced training at the New York State Schoolship, now known as the State University of New York Maritime College. In the 1930s, Wood sailed for several steamship companies and did freelance work as an artist in advertising, allowing him to develop his own distinctive style, earn a commercial aviator’s license, and serve a stint in the New York National Guard. Wood joined the U.S. Coast Guard with the rank of Chief Boatswain’s Mate on December 17, 1941, just ten days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and saw action during the invasion of North Africa in late 1942 before serving as an artist in the Coast Guard Combat Artist Unit. In 1944, Wood took a commission as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Maritime Service (USMS) at the new U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York, with occasional forays to other facilities, such as the Cadet Basic School in San Mateo, California, where he painted “Christ on the Water.” Wood remained with the USMS after World War II ended, advancing to Lieutenant Commander. In 1947, he married Mary Zizan in New York City, just months before he died in 1948 due to an automobile accident. Wood’s paintings continue to grace the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Massachusetts, the U.S. Coast Guard Historian’s Office in Washington, DC, the Mariners’ Museum and Park in Newport News, Virginia, and numerous private collections.
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