In this artwork, how is the Background discussed?
The search for the northwest passage had been undertaken repeatedly since the voyages of Henry Hudson in the early 17th century. The most significant attempt was the 1845 expedition led by John Franklin, which had disappeared, apparently without trace. Subsequent expeditions had found evidence that Franklin's two ships had become stuck in ice, and that the crews had died over a number of years from various causes, some having made unsuccessful attempts to escape across the ice. These later expeditions were also unable to navigate a route through Canada’s arctic islands. Millais had the idea for the painting when a new expedition to explore the passage, the British Arctic Expedition led by George Nares, was being prepared.
George Nares John Franklin Henry Hudson British Arctic Expedition