Study in Sunset
The ‘Fighting Téméraire’ Tugged to her Last Berth To Be Broken Up (1839)
By Joseph Mallord William Turner
Turner's elegy for the age of sail and 'British oak', embodied in seamen, men-of-war and ships of the line, also ushers in the steam age. Sold, like other outdated warships, for the price of her timber, the Temerair is towed to the breakers by a steam tug.
Much later, Turner's picture was described as his 'first, almost prophetic idea of smoke, soot, iron and steam'. Turner called it his 'darling' and refused to sell it. He intended it for the National Gallery, which sits in Trafalgar Square, named after the battle in which the Temeraire had served.
[Tate Britain]
Part of Turner's Modern World
(October 2020 – September 2021)
One of Britain’s greatest artists, J.M.W. Turner lived and worked at the peak of the industrial revolution. Steam replaced sail; machine-power replaced manpower; political and social reforms transformed society.
Many artists ignored these changes but Turner faced up to these new challenges. This exhibition will show how he transformed the way he painted to better capture this new world.
Beginning in the 1790s, when Turner first observed the effects of modern life, the exhibition will follow his fascination with the impact of industrialisation. It will show how he became involved in the big political questions of the time: campaigning against slavery and making paintings that expressed the horrors of the Napoleonic Wars.
This landmark exhibition will bring together major works by Turner from Tate and other collections, including The Fighting Temeraire 1839 and Rail, Steam and Speed 1844. It will explore what it meant to be a modern artist in his lifetime and present an exciting new perspective on his work and life.
[Tate Britain]
Taken in Tate Britain
Study in Sunset
The ‘Fighting Téméraire’ Tugged to her Last Berth To Be Broken Up (1839)
By Joseph Mallord William Turner
Turner's elegy for the age of sail and 'British oak', embodied in seamen, men-of-war and ships of the line, also ushers in the steam age. Sold, like other outdated warships, for the price of her timber, the Temerair is towed to the breakers by a steam tug.
Much later, Turner's picture was described as his 'first, almost prophetic idea of smoke, soot, iron and steam'. Turner called it his 'darling' and refused to sell it. He intended it for the National Gallery, which sits in Trafalgar Square, named after the battle in which the Temeraire had served.
[Tate Britain]
Part of Turner's Modern World
(October 2020 – September 2021)
One of Britain’s greatest artists, J.M.W. Turner lived and worked at the peak of the industrial revolution. Steam replaced sail; machine-power replaced manpower; political and social reforms transformed society.
Many artists ignored these changes but Turner faced up to these new challenges. This exhibition will show how he transformed the way he painted to better capture this new world.
Beginning in the 1790s, when Turner first observed the effects of modern life, the exhibition will follow his fascination with the impact of industrialisation. It will show how he became involved in the big political questions of the time: campaigning against slavery and making paintings that expressed the horrors of the Napoleonic Wars.
This landmark exhibition will bring together major works by Turner from Tate and other collections, including The Fighting Temeraire 1839 and Rail, Steam and Speed 1844. It will explore what it meant to be a modern artist in his lifetime and present an exciting new perspective on his work and life.
[Tate Britain]
Taken in Tate Britain