The pensioner's story.

Repro ID: BHC1815

Description: Set in front of the King Charles Court of the Royal Hospital for Seamen in Greenwich, with the Thames out of view to the left, this painting shows a bearded and uniformed Greenwich Pensioner with a wooden leg, talking to a couple and a young boy. The pensioner leans heavily on a walking stick held in his left hand, and he gestures with his right. Behind him to the left, is a waterman holding a boathook in his right hand, whilst behind the well dressed couple, to the right, a pensioner sits dozing on a bench. Although the narrative indicates that after a lifetime of service at sea, retirement will bring peace, the group on the right remain closely together, keeping a distance from the sailor. The painting has been signed by the artist and is dated '1883', well after the hospitals closure in 1869. The Royal Hospital for Seamen was founded in 1694 to house disabled and elderly Royal Navy seamen.

Creator: Thomas Davidson

Date: 1883

Credit line: National Maritime Museum, London