The Shipwreck was painted by the British romantic landscape painter, the famous watercolor painter and printer maker Joseph Mallord William Turner in 1805. The painting depicted the shipwrecked scene of ships at sea. The Shipwreck was a kind of oil painting on canvas measuring 1705 x 2416 mm. Now the painting is collected in Tate Britain.
The Shipwreck
In early 19th century, Turner used the scenery on the performance of major historical themes which was the so-called historical landscapes. This kind of works was obviously affected by the French classical painters Lorrain and Poussin, so these oil paintings were full of careful and prudent styles. However the landscape awareness and understanding of Turner was always developing and changing, showing the incomparable creativity and breakthrough capacity of master. Travel to France, Switzerland, Scotland, Italy and other places made him accumulate creative inspiration, letting him have more opportunities for innovation. As Turner was elected academician of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts with young famous joy, Turner's style gradually changed.
Sunken ships and other marine disasters had been the subjects that romantic works often encountered, which reflected a poised force of the nature. In his whole life, Turner had maintained the passion of expression to the sea power. The theme of this painting may be derived from a real shipwreck or the famous long poem with the same name of William Falconer in 1804. Here Turner described his deep feelings for reality and fear during the shipwreck. Turner's early conventional heavy dark tone foiled the white waves and whirlpool rapids. Although The Shipwreck did not abandon the description of the details, he was more focused the joyful relation between color and light and obsession for light and air.
