PhotosVideosAllPeople
J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851), “The Fighting Temeraire tugged to her last berth to be broken up, 1838”, painted in 1839. Oil on canvas, 90.7 × 121.6 cm. National Gallery, London; Turner Bequest, 1856. Inventory number NG524. A broad river scene beneath an expansive sunset sky. On the left, the towering Temeraire appears pale and almost ghostly, its white-and-gold hull beneath three tall masts, fine rigging and furled sails. A much smaller, dark brown steam tug pulls the warship towards the viewer and slightly to the right. Its black funnel releases a plume of orange-brown smoke that streams backwards across the sailing ship. The sky shifts from cool blue and grey on the left to glowing gold, peach and fiery orange on the right. A slender crescent moon hangs high above the warship. Near the right-hand horizon, a pale setting sun shines through reddish clouds, casting a long golden reflection across the gently rippling water. Both ships cast darker reflections in the foreground. Smaller sailing vessels, distant masts, a low shoreline and a tiny rowing boat recede into the haze. A dark buoy rises from the water at lower right. The scene depicts the veteran warship’s final journey along the Thames to be dismantled, pairing the fading grandeur of the sailing ship with the compact, smoky power of the steam tug.