Joseph Mallord William Turner - The Fighting Temeraire, tugged to her last berth to be broken up

• Title: The Fighting Temeraire, tugged to her last berth to be broken up
• Artist: Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851)
• Date: 1839
• Medium: Oil on canvas
• Dimensions: 91 x 122 cm

“The Fighting Temeraire” captures the sight of the Temeraire, a veteran ship of the British Royal Navy which had played a significant role in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, being towed by a steam tugboat along the River Thames towards its final destination, a ship-breaking yard.

In Turner’s depiction, the ship appears almost ghostly with its sails furled in the setting sun. The contrast is great with the tugboat, small yet powerful, cutting through the water. Turner’s handling of light and atmosphere is particularly noteworthy in this painting. The reflections of light on the water and the billowing clouds in the sky add depth and movement to the scene.

The painting encourages reflection on the passage of time and the changing nature of technology and society.