Jospeh Mallord William Turner (1775-1851)
Oil on canvas. National Gallery.
The paiting depicts the las journey of the Temeraire, a famous warship sold by the Royal Navy in 1838. It eas towed up the Thames from Sheerness in Kent to a ship-breaker's yard in Rotherhithe, South London. Turner contrasts the veteran ship, seen against the setting sun, with the modern steam-propelled tug.