Wreckers -- Coast of Northumberland, with a Steam-Boat Assisting a Ship off Shore
J. M. W. Turnerexhibited 1834
Yale Center for British Art
New Haven, CT, United States
Wreckers captures J. M. W. Turner’s recurrent exploration of the conflict between human culture and the power of nature. A masted ship flounders off the wild coast of Northumberland while a steamship tries desperately to come to its aid. Meanwhile, wreckers on the beach wait with ropes and nets to plunder whatever of value washes to shore. The old castle of Dunstanburgh looms menacingly in the background, battered by the storm but unyielding. Turner exhibited Wreckers at the Royal Academy in 1834 and again at the British Institution in 1836, when it was described by one critic as “a very great picture . . . a production of true genius.” It was bought in 1844 by Turner’s friend Elhanan Bicknell.
Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2016
- Title: Wreckers -- Coast of Northumberland, with a Steam-Boat Assisting a Ship off Shore
- Creator: Joseph Mallord William Turner, 1775–1851, British
- Creator Lifespan: 1775/1851
- Creator Nationality: British
- Creator Gender: male
- Date Created: exhibited 1834
- Physical Dimensions: 35 5/8 x 47 9/16 inches (90.5 x 120.8 cm) Frame: 48 1/4 x 60 1/4 x 3 1/2 inches (122.6 x 153 x 8.9 cm)
- Subject Keywords: men, danger, wind, sea, shore (landform), castle, ships, steamboat, landscape, seascape, marine art, beach, wreckers (people), rocks (landforms), gangs
- External Link: See this work of art on the Yale Center for British Art website
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Repository Name: Yale Center for British Art
- Credit Line: Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Get the app
Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more
