The Victory Returning from Trafalgar, in Three Position
J. M. W. Turner·1806
Historical Context
The Victory Returning from Trafalgar from 1806 celebrates the return of Nelson's flagship after the great battle. Turner, who was deeply moved by Trafalgar and Nelson's death, painted several works commemorating the victory that secured British naval supremacy. The work was shown at the Royal Academy, where Turner sent work consistently for fifty years; his exhibits provoked both admiration and controversy for their progressive dissolution of conventional form into atmosphere.
Technical Analysis
Turner renders the Victory in three positions to show different aspects of the ship, combining naval expertise with dramatic atmospheric effects of stormy sky and agitated water.
Look Closer
- ◆Look for the Victory in three positions — Turner depicts Horatio Nelson's flagship at three different stages of its return journey from Trafalgar, a multiple-exposure technique unusual in marine painting.
- ◆Notice the ship's battle damage visible in each position — the Victory returned to England in a battered state, and Turner renders the damage to masts and rigging with his characteristic naval accuracy.
- ◆Observe the sea conditions Turner creates for the return voyage — different from the battle's chaos, this is the grey Channel sea of a homeward passage, somber and appropriate to the mood of victory and loss.
- ◆Find the flags and signals visible on the Victory — Turner was precise about naval signaling, and the specific flags flown on the homeward passage carried specific meanings for a Georgian naval audience.
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