The Fighting Temeraire is an oil painting on canvas by William Turner, made in 1838. It depicts a large English warship, the HMS Temeraire, towed by a steam tugboat to its place of demolition. It is exhibited at the National Gallery in London. This work is considered a masterpiece of romanticism and an evocation of technical progress and historical change.
The historical and cultural context
The painting was inspired by a real event: on September 6, 1838, Turner witnessed the passage of the HMS Temeraire on the Thames, towed by a small steamboat with paddle wheels. The Temeraire was a second-rate ship of the line, which had participated in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, under the command of Admiral Nelson. He had then played a decisive role in rescuing Nelson’s flagship, the Victory, and capturing two French ships. He was nicknamed “the ship that saved England” and was very popular with the public. After the battle, he had been converted into a prison ship, then into a powder depot, before being sold to be destroyed at Rotherhithe, in southeast London.
Turner was fascinated by the navy and by the Battle of Trafalgar, which he had represented in several paintings. He was also attracted by new technologies, such as steam or rail, which he saw as symbols of progress and modernity. He had also attended the inauguration of the first railway line between London and Birmingham in 1838. He was also sensitive to the political and social situation of his time, marked by the revolutions of 1830 and by the demands of the popular classes for more rights and freedoms.
The analysis of the work
The painting shows the Temeraire towed by the steamer on the Thames, at sunset. The ship occupies a large part of the canvas, to the left of the center. It is seen from the side, with its bare masts and its dark hull. It contrasts with the steamer, smaller and lighter, which spits out black smoke. To the right of the center, one can see the glowing sun behind clouds. The sky is dominated by yellow, orange and pink tones, which are reflected in the water. In the background, one can distinguish the silhouette of London and its monuments, such as St Paul’s Cathedral or Westminster Palace.
The painting gives an impression of melancholy and nostalgia, but also of beauty and poetry. The Temeraire appears as a symbol of England’s glorious and heroic past, but also as a victim of progress and time passing. It is relegated to the background by the steamer, which represents the industrial and commercial future of the country. The sunset reinforces the idea of an end of an era, but also of a sublime and moving spectacle. Turner uses his mastery of light and color to create a dramatic and romantic atmosphere.
The symbolic interpretation
The painting has been interpreted in different ways according to points of view. Some have seen it as a critique of technical progress and capitalism, which sacrifice traditional and human values in the name of profit and efficiency. Others have seen it as a tribute to technical progress and modernity, which open up new and stimulating perspectives for humanity. Others still have seen it as a reflection on historical change and on the role of the artist in relation to it.
Turner himself did not give a clear explanation about his intention. He simply titled his painting “The Temeraire towed to its last anchorage to be destroyed”. He also added a Latin quotation from Ovid’s Metamorphoses: “Exegi monumentum aere perennius” (“I have erected a monument more lasting than bronze”). This quotation refers to the poet Horace, who claimed that his poetic work would ensure him immortal glory. Turner seems to suggest that his painting is a monument in honor of the Temeraire, but also an affirmation of his own artistic value.
The last voyage of the Temeraire is a major work of British 19th century art, which illustrates Turner’s pictorial and visionary genius. He skillfully combines historical realism and romantic imagination to create a scene that is both moving and spectacular. He also testifies to the social and cultural transformations that affect England in Victorian times.
