The 98-gun ship Temeraire played a distinguished role in the British victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The painting was thought to represent the decline of Britain's naval power. As some of Turner's paintings went largely misunderstood by those of his time, The Fighting Temeraire was considered one of his greatest works by his modern day critics.
The Fighting Temeraire
oil on canvas • 90.7 × 121.6 cm
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Joseph Mallord William Turner