Shipping 1828 - 1830

J. M. W. Turner made this drawing of ships with chalk and watercolor. Turner's seascapes were radical for their time. He abandoned traditional depictions of maritime scenes to capture the raw energy of the sea. This was a period when England was a major maritime power and the sea was of huge cultural and economic significance. Shipping and the navy shaped Britain’s sense of itself as an island nation with a global reach. Yet, in stark contrast to earlier artists, Turner’s seascapes were not focused on straightforward depictions of naval power, but rather on the experience of being at sea. His interest was in the sublime power of nature and in humanity's vulnerability to the elements. He would depict shipwrecks and storms as both terrifying and awe-inspiring. To better understand Turner, consult maritime and economic history archives, which reveal the social and historical contexts that shaped his artistic vision.