The painting “The Last Voyage of the Courageous” by William Turner is an elegy to a dying hero

The Last Voyage of the Courageous is the most famous and revered painting by William Turner in 1839. An old military frigate famous in battles that once bravely fought at Trafalgar.

Name of the painting: “The last voyage of the ship” Courageous “”.
Author: William Turner (1775-1851).
Year of writing: 1839
Dimensions: 91 x 122 cm.
Style: Romanticism.
Genre: Landscape. Historical scene.
Technique: Oil painting.
Material: Canvas.
Location: National Gallery, London.

William Turner was a famous British landscape painter, watercolorist and engraver of the 19th century.

Showing sublime feelings, using bright colors and striking lighting effects, the master often depicted a raging stormy sea. However, the majestic and frightening element in his works serves only as a background against which actions unfold, dramas are played out.

The painting “The last voyage of the ship“ Courageous ‟ ”is a tribute to the memory of the heroic frigate. This ship participated in only one battle – the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. But he played a key role in it: he brought a decisive victory to the British fleet, taking his legendary place in its history. With the advent of peace in 1815, the Courageous became redundant and was moored at the port of Sherness in the north of Great Britain, serving mainly as a supply ship.

The scene portrayed by Turner in the painting took place on September 6, 1838. Patriotic feelings did not allow the artist to accurately convey the events of that day. To preserve the dignity of the ship, he created a symbolic image of the “Brave”. Disregarding the facts, he depicted the three lower masts intact with the sails folded and replaced the original black and yellow coloring with golden pink. Masterfully mastering coloristic techniques, the master gave the frigate the effect of a ghostly presence. “Brave” seems to soar above the water and proudly rises above the ship towing it.

The painting “The Last Voyage of the Courageous” by William Turner was warmly received by the public, produced a poetic and patriotic resonance in society and became, along with documentary reports, one of the glorious pages in the history of the British Navy. In a 2005 BBC Radio poll, it was voted Britain’s favorite piece. And in 2020, it appeared on the back of the £20 note.