The Fighting Temeraire

A pale old sailing warship is towed by a dark steam tug beneath a blazing orange sunset. The view opens out across the canvas, and the light and the sky do as much of the work as the land or the water beneath them. It is a picture to step into, with room for the eye to wander.

Its palette, measured from the canvas, is led by apricot, with amber and stone in support: a mid-toned, warm picture. Those warm tones give it a glow that comes alive in lamplight and deepens as the evening draws in. The wide format lets the scene unfold from side to side, with something new to find towards its edges.

A wide canvas like this one is a natural focal point above a sofa, a sideboard or a bed, where its width can carry the wall. It opens a window onto another place in a living room or a bedroom. Apricot and amber are easy to echo in cushions, a throw or a painted wall nearby, and it holds its own in a mixed gallery wall.

J. M. W. Turner made the original in 1839; in the collection it is listed under Romanticism. It has the spirit of Romanticism, where mood, weather and feeling matter as much as the scene itself. This painting is printed to order on gallery-wrapped canvas in 30 × 40 cm or 40 × 60 cm, from the image you see here. The canvas wraps around its frame, so it arrives ready to hang, with no framing needed. Want yourself in it instead? Add a photo and see your portrait free before you order.