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Under the Biden administration, the “Christ on the Water” painting was taken down from its prominent position in the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, hidden away in the building’s basement. Now, after installing a replica in his office, Secretary Sean Duffy is calling for the painting to be returned to its rightful place.
From CBN. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy caused a splash when he requested a replica of a basement-bound painting of Jesus walking on water to be hung behind his desk in his federal office.
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The move comes about a month after Duffy, 53, called for the massive, 81-year-old “Christ on the Water” painting to, once again, be prominently displayed in the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York, after it was sidelined during former President Joe Biden’s administration.
Duffy posted to X on Tuesday, revealing a replica of the “Christ on the Water” painting has been mounted in his office in Washington, D.C., after earning accolades for pulling the original painting out of the basement of the USMMA.
The @USMMAO Christ on the Water painting is a beautiful reminder of the power of faith when we need it most.
While we work on getting the piece out of the academy’s basement and back in a place of prominence, I figured there was no better place to hang a copy than right here at… pic.twitter.com/zrhtS6JRmw
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) May 7, 2025
The print is a copy of a 1944 painting by U.S. Maritime Service Lt. Hunter Wood. It depicts Jesus walking on water, toward merchant seamen floating in a lifeboat after their ship was torpedoed. Once in a place of prominence, the painting, created using sail canvas, marine paints, and ship varnish, was reportedly moved to the school’s flood-prone lower level, below the USMMA’s interfaith sanctuary, known as the Mariners Chapel. …
Duffy, a Catholic, is now pushing back against the decision to censor the historic work of art.
Midshipmen at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy erupted in applause when @SecDuffy demanded a painting of Jesus saving merchant mariners be restored.
The Biden admin put a curtain over the painting before putting it in a flood-prone basement.
“Let’s bring Him up!” pic.twitter.com/qQvLKXKE5r
— Jon Brown (@JonBrownDC) April 9, 2025
Calling for the painting to be rehung, the secretary said during a speech at Kings Point, “Can we bring Jesus up from the basement? Let’s not put Jesus in the basement! Let’s get Him out! Let’s bring Him up!” …
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(Excerpt from CBN. Photo Credit: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)