The Rebellious Curator

The Fighting Temeraire by Joseph Mallord William Turner 1839

Turner is said to have loved this painting more than all of his others, and called it his "darling". He also refused to ever sell it. The painting depicts a tug boat towing an old warship away for scrap. This was a real ship, and a true event that Turner witnessed. Although he watched the event take place, he didn't paint exactly what he saw. In the painting, he changed certain parts to make it more dramatic for the viewer. The old ship had actually lost its masts, but he painted them in and exaggerated the contrast between the tall ship and the short tug boat. And although it all happened in the morning, Turner wanted to depict an evening sunset to create the feeling of something coming to an end. 

JMW Turner was born in England in 1775 to a Barber's son, and his first works were exhibited in his dad's shop. After he became more famous, he decided to hide behind a false name, "Admiral Booth". Turner loved weather and he once tied himself to a ship's mast so he could accurately sketch a storm.