September 30, 2025
In a statement, the U.S. Department of Transportation marked the return of the restored “Christ on the Water” painting to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy’s Wiley Hall, where it hung for nearly 80 years.
The unveiling ceremony included remarks from Acting Superintendent Capt. Tony Ceraolo, Academy Historian Dr. Josh Smith, and Midshipman First Class Colin Mushorn, alongside U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy.
The painting, created in 1944 by merchant marine officer and artist Lt. Hunter Wood, depicts merchant seamen in a lifeboat in rough water with Christ off their bow. The work has long been regarded as an important part of the Academy’s cultural and wartime legacy.
The artwork was relocated in 2023 to the basement of the Mariners’ Memorial Chapel after undergoing professional conservation. Duffy, who spoke at the event, said the restoration and return fulfilled a promise to bring the piece back to a prominent location on campus.
Capt. Ceraolo said the ceremony recognized the Academy’s heritage. “Our purpose today is to preserve a piece of the Academy’s cultural and historical legacy,” Ceraolo said. “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.”
Also known as “Jesus and Lifeboat”, the piece was originally painted for the chapel at the Merchant Marine Cadet Basic School in San Mateo, Calif., as a tribute to merchant seamen lost during World War II. When that campus closed in 1947, the painting was moved to Kings Point and installed in Wiley Hall, which served as the Academy’s interfaith chapel until 1961.
The DOT press release highlighted the paintings notable materials. Wartime shortages led Lt. Wood to use sail canvas, marine paints, and spar varnish rather than traditional art supplies. Maritime historian Frank Braynard described it as Wood’s most ambitious work.
The DOT statement noted that for generations of midshipmen, the painting has served as both a historical artifact and a reminder of the wartime service of the merchant marine.
