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Hello, the Fighting Tamara from 1839 is one of Turner's greatest works, the one he called

his darling.

It shows a famous ship of the age, a hero of the battle of Trafalgarfalgar on its final journey being towed up the Thames

to the breaker's yard.

Most of the canvas's sky and extraordinary largely orange sunset reflected in still water.

Near the bottom left of center is a small black fiery tugboat from the new age of steam.

Puddles churning, a tamarar, fall-masted from the age of sail, ethereal and white glides behind to its face.

When Turner first displayed this masterpiece, the Victorian public was deep in celebrations of the

Tamara era, with work on Nelson's column underway in the Neutrophalga Square and Thackeray

described the painting as a national ode.

With me to discuss the fighting summer now are Susan Feister, curator of early Netherlands,

German and British painting at the National Gallery,

David Blaney Brown, the Manton Curator of British Art at Tate Britain, and James Davey, Curator of Naval History

at the National Maritime Museum.

Susan, Susan Foister.

Where was Turner in his career in 1839?

Well, he was at the height of his powers as a painter, extremely successful. In his early 60s he had achieved

success as a painter when he was very young. He was appointed a full member of the Royal Academy

when he was only 26 in 1802, and he achieved the success

...