The Simpsons’ house is full of little details that make their home very unique, and one of their simplest pieces of decoration has a conflicting backstory: the boat painting hanging on the wall above the living room couch. In over 30 seasons, the Simpsons’ house has stayed pretty much the same, with its sometimes confusing architecture and its peculiar colors and pieces of furniture. The house has become so popular that it has been recreated by fans countless times, and even Ikea built a set replicating the famous living room.
The Simpsons’ home is located in Evergreen Terrace, and it made its first appearance in “Good Night”, the first Simpsons short and pilot episode of the series of animated shorts that were part of The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987. Its first appearance in the series was in “Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire”, and has since been part of every episode, including – of course – the opening sequence. Perhaps the most iconic room in the house is the living room (not to be confused with the sitting room), where Homer spends a lot of time watching TV and where Bart and Lisa watch The Itchy & Scratchy Show.
The living room is where the couch gag takes place, so it’s the room viewers are more familiar with as they see it on every episode. Because of this, it’s inevitable to pay attention to every detail and piece of decoration in the room, and one that has stood out is the boat painting hanging above the couch. It’s a very simple painting which is often crooked and even played a role in the Christmas photos sequence in “Holidays of Future Passed”, where viewers witnessed the next 30 years of Simpsons’ Family Christmas photos. In it, the boat changed as the kids grew up and formed their own families, and even evolved into a spaceship when they all moved out of the house. That simple painting of a boat has ended up holding a lot of emotional significance, but what’s its real story?
First off, the boat painting has a name, and it’s “Scene from Moby Dick”, and it’s revealed in season 9’s episode “The Trouble with Trillions”, when Homer tries to find something deductible around the house, that Marge painted it for him. However, in another episode, after Homer smashes the painting over his head, it’s revealed that Marge has many copies kept in a nearby closet, and so takes one out to replace the broken one. If Marge had painted it as a gift to Homer, then she wouldn’t have so many copies as it wouldn’t have been mass produced like many other paintings that can be bought – unless, of course, that knowing Homer’s tendency to destroy things, she painted several pieces.
It’s worth noting that in season 27’s episode “Barthood”, Lisa is shown painting a boat on the sea, with Marge saying they’re going to place it over the couch – however, “Barthood” is not considered canon by some as it’s an episode that explores the future. The role of the boat painting has also changed a couple of times, as it has gone from a simple piece of decoration, to a cover for a safe. It’s highly unlikely The Simpsons will offer a proper backstory for the famous boat painting, but it will surely keep messing with it at any given chance.