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The Junction of the Thames and
the Medway, 1807
Turner, who earned an early
reputation for producing accurate topographical views,
opened his own private sales gallery, where he
exhibited this turbulent seascape. Based on notes in
the artist's sketchbooks, the scene is the wide mouth
of the Thames joining the North Sea, where the smaller
River Medway further churns the waves. To the south,
the town on the far shore is the seaport of Sheerness.
To heighten the storm's impact, Turner artfully
manipulated the lighting in this composition. The
sails at the right, for instance, are brilliantly
silhouetted against the dark clouds. In actuality,
however, the sun is obscured high in the sky behind
the thunderheads, making it impossible for sunbeams to
strike those ships from the side. |
