Adult Jigsaw Puzzle National Gallery: Turner: Fighting Temeraire

The Fighting Temeraire by Joseph Mallord William Turner was completed in 1839 during the later stages of his career. The shifting pastel tones characterize the dream-like panorama, reflecting a remarkable evocation of nature and technology, as the sky and sea contrast the precise rendering of the ship’s form. Crucially, the 98-gun ship occupied a central role during Nelson’s Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and was christened as the ‘Fighting Temeraire.’ Yet, the painting moves away from the glory and grandeur, as it is thought that Turner tried to exemplify the decline of Britain’s naval power. Travelling eastwards away from the sunset, a sense of loss is evoked by Turner’s impressionistic vision, hauntingly conveying the serenity and subtle unrest of the scene.