Lot 1136: A Vintage National Gallery Framed Print of Joseph Mallord William Turner's The Fighting Temeraire
A vintage National Gallery framed print of Joseph Mallord William Turner’s ‘The Fighting Temeraire’, depicting the veteran warship being towed by a steam tug to her final berth to be broken up. The atmospheric scene is rendered in a sunset palette, though the original colours have significantly faded. The work is presented in a glazed wooden frame with a cream and gold-toned double mount. A white adhesive label on the reverse is printed with the text: ‘THE FIGHTING TEMERAIRE’ TUGGED TO HER LAST BERTH TO BE BROKEN UP, 1838, Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851) Oil on canvas, 90.8 x 121.9 cm NATIONAL GALLERY. A small white auction sticker marked 1136 is affixed to the front upper right of the frame.
Condition report:
The print exhibits significant overall colour fading and a pronounced shift towards magenta and purple hues (photo 1). The mounting board shows visible foxing and brown spotting, most notably along the bottom edge (photo 1). Small particles of dust and debris are trapped behind the glazing (photo 1). The wooden frame shows minor surface scuffs and wear consistent with age (photos 2 and 3).
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