A Packet Boat off Dover

c. 1836

Joseph Mallord William Turner

Associated Names
Joseph Mallord William Turner

Artist, British, 1775 - 1851

This painting shows a body of water with a steamboat in the distance emitting gray smoke. The steamboat is only partially visible behind the rough and frothy waves, painted in loose lines of white on the beige paper. The horizon is blurred, with the blue sky blending in with the pale waves. On the left, the silhouettes of buildings are faintly suggested in pale yellow.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    watercolor and gouache with touches of black chalk on gray wove paper, laid down

  • Credit Line

    Paul Mellon Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 19.1 x 27.8 cm (7 1/2 x 10 15/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1986.72.18

Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

1987

  • English Drawings and Watercolors, 1630-1850, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1987-1988, no cat.

2006

  • The Artist's Vision: Romantic Traditions in Great Britain, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 2006 - 2007

2016

  • In Celebration of Paul Mellon, NGA, 2016.

Inscriptions

none

Markings

none

Watermarks

indiiscernible

Wikidata ID

Q64591296

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