J.M.W. Turner, The Shipwreck, 1805

Paintings depicting shipwrecks and other calamities caused by natural disasters constituted a large number of Romantic paintings. The Romantic Movement responded to the Neo-classical focus on historical accuracy and meticulous attention to detail. Artists from the Romantic period such as Joseph Turner glorified nature and emotion. They aimed to illustrate the raw force of nature presented in the eighteenth century theory of the sublime, which proclaimed notable artwork’s use of powerful themes of nature.

Painted in 1805, his work, The Shipwreck, showcases the wrath of the ocean and nature, exposing the true helplessness of humans. Turner attempts to honestly portray the relationship between humans and nature as evidenced by this highly climatic scene. Large ships are effortlessly tossed around the commanding sea, rendering the men on them completely without of control. Turner capitalizes on this feeling of vulnerability to nature's torment through shifting the paintings focus from the ships being swallowed to the sea that consumes them. He does this by implementing light, swift brush strokes that highlight the movement of the crashing waves and inevitable fate of the ships. Turner overwhelms the canvas with the blue of the sky and sea leaving the shining sail to distinctly stand out. Furthermore, the light source emanates from the sail,contrasting the gloomy scene behind. These techniques add to the drama of the painting and heighten the tension between humans and nature.