There is no further information about this location, so in the meantime we can tell the story of a famous London work of art.
“The Fighting Temeraire” is a renowned oil painting created by the English artist J.M.W. Turner in 1838. It was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1839 and is currently housed in the National Gallery in London. The painting depicts the HMS Temeraire, a famous 98-gun ship that played a significant role in the Battle of Trafalgar, being towed by a steam tug along the Thames in 1838. The ship was being taken to Rotherhithe in order to be dismantled and sold as scrap.
Turner was known for his atmospheric and evocative paintings, often focusing on maritime subjects and the effects of light and weather. Although it is unclear whether Turner personally witnessed the towing of the Temeraire, he used artistic license in the painting to convey a symbolic meaning that resonated with the viewers of the time.
The choice of the Temeraire as the subject of the painting was influenced by its historical significance and the public attention surrounding its sale by the Admiralty. In the painting, the Union Jack is not seen flying on the ship, but rather a white flag, symbolizing its transfer to private ownership.
“The Fighting Temeraire” holds great importance in British art and history. In 2005, it was voted the nation’s favourite painting in a poll organised by BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. In 2020, a depiction of the painting was featured on the new £20 banknote alongside Turner’s self-portrait from 1799.
Turner seems to have painted his famous painting from the balcony at the Angel Inn, situated at Bermondsey Wall East in Rotherhithe.
It seems that the depiction of the ship’s final journey takes some artistic liberties and does not accurately show the actual events. According to historical records, the ship was taken for scrap at Beatson’s ship-breaking yard in Rotherhithe by two tugboats, not one, on 6 September 1836.
Contemporary observers mentioned that there was no sunset during the ship’s final journey. However, in Turner’s painting, the sun appears to set in the east, which does not match reality.
Furthermore, the ship’s appearance in the painting differs from its actual state at the time. By the time the ship was auctioned off to ship-breaker John Beatson, many of its features, such as the tall masts and rigging, had been removed. However, Turner’s painting depicts the ship with the rigging and masts still intact.
These artistic choices by Turner may have been made to create a more dramatic and visually appealing representation of the ship’s final moments rather than accurately reflecting the historical details.
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