Turner Temeraire More Than Nostalgia

Turner's Temeraire: More Than an Ending, A Portrait of Transformation

Commemorations in 2025 will celebrate 250 years since the birth of Joseph Mallord William Turner. Such an occasion presents an ideal opportunity for reassessing one of his most renowned and beloved creations, The Fighting Temeraire tugged to her last berth to be broken up, 1838. Deep affection exists for the artwork among Britons; its image once graced the £20 currency note. Yet, the common perception of this celebrated picture frequently emphasizes sentimentality, potentially masking the artist’s actual, more nuanced aims.

Turner’s 1839 oil on canvas portrays the celebrated HMS Temeraire, a Royal Navy vessel carrying 98 guns, moving along the River Thames beneath a sky rendered with dazzling colour. Launched back in 1798, the ship gained renown through its involvement in the conflicts against Revolutionary and Napoleonic France. A powerful bond existed between the British populace and the vessel, particularly after its removal from service and subsequent sale for dismantling in 1838. Turner immortalises the vessel's ultimate passage, portraying the faded, spectral sailing craft hauled by a murky, compact steamer. This striking visual juxtaposition underpins the painting’s persistent appeal.

A Vessel Covered in Glory

The heroic standing of HMS Temeraire stems principally from its performance during the Napoleonic struggles. First allocated to the Channel Fleet, it engaged in the monotonous yet essential blockade against French harbours. Its most lauded contribution occurred on October 21, 1805, during the naval confrontation near Trafalgar. Commanded by Captain Eliab Harvey, the Temeraire advanced into the fray immediately astern of HMS Victory, Admiral Lord Nelson’s command ship. While the Victory sustained intense bombardment from the French vessel Redoubtable, the Temeraire courageously confronted several opposing ships.

Coming adjacent to the Redoubtable, the Temeraire delivered broadsides, simultaneously engaging the Fougueux, another French combatant. This crucial action shielded the heavily pressed Victory and significantly contributed towards ensuring the decisive British success. This engagement solidified the vessel’s position within naval lore and resulted in the fond moniker "The Fighting Temeraire." Its role was lauded by the public, who saw the ship embodying national fortitude and determination against the Napoleonic danger. Involvement in this key conflict guaranteed its legendary reputation across subsequent eras.

The Temeraire's Concluding Chapters

After its success near Trafalgar, HMS Temeraire remained in Royal Navy service, performing additional blockade assignments and escorting convoys. Nonetheless, the demanding nature of naval conflict combined with evolving fleet requirements eventually resulted in its operational importance declining. Its active fighting role ceased by 1812. The vessel underwent conversion to become a prison hulk, a frequent destiny for older ships, before functioning as a receiving vessel and later a provisions depot between 1820 and 1836. Guard duty at Sheerness Dockyard represented its final assignment.

The Admiralty classified the deteriorating ship as unnecessary in 1838. Along with twelve other vessels, it was retired from service and offered for purchase. Shipbreaker John Beatson acquired the Temeraire via auction on August 16, 1838, paying £5,530. Beatson subsequently undertook the significant challenge of transporting the immense structure 55 miles along the Thames, moving from Sheerness towards his Rotherhithe dismantling yard. This concluding, unceremonious trip signified the termination of the vessel's extensive service, altering its status from a potent naval symbol to mere scrap.

The Dominant Reading: A Farewell to Sail

The typical understanding of Turner's creation is perfectly captured in a sequence from the 2012 James Bond movie Skyfall. While observing the artwork within London's National Gallery, the youthful, technologically adept character Q comments to Bond regarding its inherent melancholy. He perceives a splendid old combat vessel hauled off for destruction, rendered obsolete by emergent technology. This viewpoint understands the painting as an elegy – expressing sorrow for a magnificent history and Britain's waning maritime supremacy. The grand Temeraire assumes the role of tragic protagonist, whereas the hardworking steam tugboat is depicted as the indifferent antagonist.

This emotional perspective gained acceptance quite early. Both Herman Melville and William Makepeace Thackeray, writing in the 19th century, conveyed comparable sentiments, concentrating on the sailing vessel's magnificence while dismissing the "puny," "sooty" towing craft. To numerous viewers, the Temeraire signified national honour and heroic feats. Its breaking up seemed like a chapter closing, a moving loss reflected in Turner's spectacular sunset, frequently seen as representing decline. Such a reading heavily emphasizes nostalgia along with the perceived romanticism of the sailing age.

Image Credit - BBC

Turner: From Humble Beginnings to Artistic Eminence

Joseph Mallord William Turner's path towards becoming Britain's preeminent landscape artist started from unassuming origins. His 1775 birth occurred in London's Covent Garden; his father worked as a barber and crafted wigs. His mother experienced mental health difficulties and was eventually placed in an institution. Residing for a period with an uncle located in Brentford, Turner had limited formal education but demonstrated artistic talent from a young age. His father displayed the youth's sketches within his shop. Acknowledging his abilities, Turner gained admission to the Royal Academy schools during 1789 when only 14.

His progress was swift, showing his initial watercolour at the Academy just the next year. Early creations included topographical sketches and architectural renderings. He undertook journeys across Britain specifically for sketching, refining his craft. Figures like John Robert Cozens and Thomas Girtin influenced him, expanding his methods. Turner displayed Fishermen at Sea, his first oil painting, during 1796. His remarkable skill resulted in his selection as an Associate member of the Royal Academy during 1799, followed by full Academician status in 1802, achieving this at the minimum required age.

An Artist Driven by Ambition and Insight

Despite his swift rise and later connections with affluent society, Turner is said to have kept traits reflecting his working-class London upbringing, his accent included. He harboured significant ambition coupled with an astute grasp of the art commerce environment. Concurrently with his Royal Academy responsibilities, which encompassed appointment as Professor of Perspective in 1807 (although his lectures were notoriously challenging to comprehend), he nurtured relationships with prosperous patrons who commissioned and purchased his creations.

Furthermore, he founded his own gallery space during 1804 for exhibiting and directly selling his paintings, affording him enhanced authority over his professional path and income. Turner was recognized for his commercial awareness and his motivation to produce art possessing wide attractiveness. He accepted numerous commissions for creating engravings as well as illustrations for books, thereby extending his art's reach to a broader audience. The Fighting Temeraire, by engaging with national feeling and historical esteem, undoubtedly attained this sort of widespread acclaim, establishing itself among his most lauded works.

Re-evaluating the Tugboat's Significance

Although the nostalgic view of The Fighting Temeraire holds strong appeal, it neglects vital aspects indicating a more forward-thinking statement. Reconsidering the steam tugboat's function is key. Rather than simply representing villainy or deterioration, the tugboat arguably serves as the painting’s genuine subject and conveys Turner’s observations on the era's deep-seated changes. The steamer's dark, potent form provides a stark contrast to the Temeraire's ethereal appearance.

In Turner's era, steam represented the forefront of technological development. It was an influence swiftly altering manufacturing, transportation, and social structures. Turner displayed persistent fascination with these developments and their consequences. In contrast to certain contemporaries clinging to romanticized historical images, Turner actively participated with the contemporary scene. The tugboat, emitting smoke and resolutely towing the massive structure, embodies this emergent industrial strength along with the start of a new epoch.

Turner's Engagement with Technology

Turner's curiosity regarding technological progress was not limited to The Fighting Temeraire. Several additional significant artworks illustrate his interaction with the industrial revolution along with its effects on sight and sensation. His 1842 creation Snow Storm – Steam-Boat off a Harbour's Mouth immerses the viewer within a swirling mix of natural violence and mechanical force. Reportedly, this painting resulted from Turner arranging to be secured to a ship's mast amid a storm for direct experience of the conditions.

Likewise, Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway (from 1844) shows a steam engine speeding across the Maidenhead Railway Bridge. Appearing out of precipitation and haze, the train symbolises human cleverness overcoming distance and atmospheric conditions. These paintings reveal Turner investigating how recent technologies modified human awareness, interacted with the environment, and generated novel sensations of velocity and might. He aimed to depict the energy and occasionally disturbing power inherent in these transformations.

Image Credit - BBC

Constable's Counterpoint: Sidestepping the Revolution

Turner's creative methodology stands in sharp distinction to that of John Constable, his principal competitor. Originating from a more privileged rural setting, Constable concentrated primarily on idealized countryside views. His well-known painting The Hay Wain (finished 1821) depicts a conventional horse-pulled vehicle within a peaceful Suffolk setting. Although praised for its realistic portrayal, Constable's art frequently seems intentionally to disregard the profound industrial and societal shifts unfolding throughout Britain.

The Hay Wain evokes a seemingly enduring agrarian system. The Fighting Temeraire, conversely, places the observer face-to-face with industrial advancement. The steamer pulling the sailing vessel isn't merely circumstantial; it signifies the unavoidable transition occurring within maritime capability. Turner positions this emblem of modernity centrally, acknowledging the dynamics reshaping his era, whereas Constable often appeared to favour depicting a world already disappearing.

A Fundamental Shift in Sea Power

The event Turner rendered signified more than just one vessel's conclusion; it illustrated a basic transformation in seafaring practices. For thousands of years, navigation relied upon managing natural elements – wind direction and water movements. Wooden sailing vessels, such as the Temeraire, typified this connection to the environment. Their elaborate rigging systems and dependence on advantageous breezes determined routes and naval tactics. Steam power's arrival promised a groundbreaking departure from these constraints.

Steam engines presented the possibility of overcoming the elements, enabling vessels to journey against flows, tides, and breezes with unmatched dependability and regularity. The Royal Navy had already initiated experiments, utilizing steam craft like the one shown for towing larger sailing combatants. Strategies were forming to shift the fleet towards steam-driven frigates. The Temeraire’s dismantling wasn't merely standard procedure; it marked the obsolescence of a whole technological system and the advent of industrialized sea strength.

The Symbolism of a Sea Voyage

Turner grasped the profound cultural meanings linked to vessels and the ocean. From antiquity, evident in texts like Homer's Odyssey, the maritime journey has functioned as a potent analogy for human existence, covering ideas of exploration, adversity, alteration, and the end of life. Ships signified human efforts navigating the immensity and uncertainty of destiny and the natural world. Turner draws upon this extensive heritage within The Fighting Temeraire.

Through contrasting the aged, magnificent sailing ship against the novel, practical steam tug, he captures a moment of deep historical change. The painting transcends portraying a singular occurrence; it represents the conclusion of an old period shaped by natural elements and the commencement of a new one propelled by human invention and mechanical force. It signifies the start of humanity's connection with the post-industrial era, a concept possessing lasting significance.

The Artist's Role Amidst Change

Turner perceived that the artist's function shifts in parallel with societal and technological developments. The conventional practice of maritime art centred on the detailed elegance of sailing ships – their intricate lines, expansive sails, and frequently elaborate carved figures at the prow. Depicting these wooden behemoths had evolved into a reputable, albeit somewhat customary, artistic genre. However, industrial technology's rise presented a fresh difficulty.

How could artists discover aesthetic merit and significance within the unfamiliar shapes of the machine era? Chimneys, engine components, pistons, paddle mechanisms – these functional items lacked the established romantic connotations associated with sail. Turner appeared to hold that engaging with this new actuality was the artist's obligation, finding methods for meaningfully depicting contemporary existence and technology. The Fighting Temeraire exemplifies this dedication, forging a potent and enduring visual from the components of current transformation.

Material and Technical Innovations

Turner's acceptance of the modern extended into his artistic methods and materials. His experimental attitude towards paint handling was well-known; he frequently employed non-standard implements and procedures for achieving particular outcomes. Research indicates he utilized approaches that blurred distinctions between oil and watercolour techniques, sometimes applying oil paint thinly like watercolour to render effects related to light and atmosphere.

He also readily integrated newly accessible pigments originating from chemical advancements. Analysis reveals his use of colours such as Cobalt Blue, Chrome Yellow, Emerald Green, and Viridian shortly following their market introduction. For The Fighting Temeraire, studies suggest pigments like Scarlet Lake and Lemon Yellow were employed. Evidence even points towards his incorporation of unusual binding agents, possibly rendered animal fats or vegetable oils mixed with traditional oils like walnut, aiming for specific textures and brightness.

Shaping Future Artistic Generations

Turner's unconventional style, especially his later work's focus on light, colour, and mood over exact representation, exerted a profound effect on subsequent artist cohorts. His audacious methods and contemporary themes startled some peers but motivated others. The French Impressionists, notably, discovered considerable inspiration in his creations.

Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro encountered Turner's paintings during their time seeking asylum in London amidst the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71). His atmospheric renditions and courageous colour application are viewed as major contributors to Impressionism's development. A depiction of Turner's Rain, Steam and Speed was featured in the first Impressionist Exhibition held in Paris during 1874, emphasizing his recognized status as a precursor to modern artistic expression. Critic John Ruskin famously labelled Turner "the father of modern art."

Marking the 2025 Anniversary

The 250th anniversary marking Turner's birth during 2025 is being observed through numerous activities and displays throughout the UK and globally. Significant exhibitions are scheduled, presenting chances to view his art and reassess his impact. Galleries along with museums possessing substantial Turner holdings are anticipated to curate special presentations. Institutions ranging from London and Liverpool to his previous residence in Twickenham, plus centres for British art overseas, are organizing tributes.

These observances offer an opportunity for deeper exploration into his extensive body of work. They will examine his lasting importance, his influence upon later creators, and the nuances of his artistic outlook. Juxtaposing his creations with those of contemporaries such as Constable, another prominent artist with an approaching anniversary, will provide fresh viewpoints. The anniversary underscores the depth of Turner's contribution and prompts renewed recognition of his stature within art history.

The Enduring Message: Accepting Transformation

Fully grasping Turner's brilliance, particularly via The Fighting Temeraire, necessitates moving past the straightforward interpretation centred on nostalgic loss. Although the painting recognizes the conclusion of a heroic period, its fundamental theme relates to advancement and the unavoidable reality of change. Turner directly addresses the shifts occurring in his time, discovering visual intensity and symbolic meaning within the move from sail power towards steam.

The Fighting Temeraire's lasting impact stems not solely from its subject but also from Turner's insightful perspective. He displayed an exceptional unwillingness to fear novelty or be limited by artistic norms. The painting honours the vitality of the contemporary world while still respecting history. Turner took on the challenge of portraying a current, industrial reality, releasing himself from older artistic conventions. This forward-thinking attitude, this readiness to discover beauty along with significance within the new, forms Turner's most crucial artistic inheritance today.