''War. The Exile and the Rock Limpet'' is an oil painting of 1842 by the English

Romantic Romantic may refer to: Genres and eras * The Romantic era, an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement of the 18th and 19th centuries ** Romantic music, of that era ** Romantic poetry, of that era ** Romanticism in science, of that e ...

painter

J. M. W. Turner Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 177519 December 1851), known in his time as William Turner, was an English Romantic painter, printmaker and watercolourist. He is known for his expressive colouring, imaginative landscapes and turbulen ...

(1775–1851). Intended to be a companion piece to Turner's '' Peace - Burial at Sea'', ''War'' is a painting that depicts a moment from

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

's exile at

Saint Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...

. In December 1815, the former Emperor was taken by the British government to the Longwood House, despite its state of disrepair, to live in captivity; during his final years of isolation, Napoleon had fallen into despair. Turner's decision to pair the painting with ''Peace'' was heavily criticized when it was first exhibited but it is also seen as predecessor to his more famous piece '' Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway'' (1844).

Background

At the conclusion of his

Hundred Days The Hundred Days (french: les Cent-Jours ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition, marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restoration ...

, who suffered a decisive defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, had fallen under the custody of the British after considering a bid for an escape to the United States. In December, the former Emperor was exiled to

in the South Atlantic and housed under guard in the Longwood House, his situation worsened by the building's poor living conditions. Without any realistic hopes of escape from Saint Helena, Napoleon lived out his final days on the island until his death in 1821.

was often inspired by conflicts from the Napoleonic era: his works ''

The Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval battle, naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy, French and Spanish Navy, Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–De ...

'' (1807) and '' The Fighting Temeraire'' are realizations of the artist's influences. Political overtones also are found in some of Turner's most famous pieces, including '' Snow Storm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps'' (1832). In 1840, Napoleon's ashes were returned to France for a state burial on request by Louis Philippe I, inspiring Turner to make the former Emperor the subject of ''War. The Exile and the Rock Limpet''. ''War'' depicts a moment during Napoleon's exile on St. Helena. While on guard of a British sentry, a prevalent reminder of his captivity, Napoleon bows slightly to study a lone rock limpet. In his portrayal of him, Turner sought to embody the futility of war. The sunset behind the figure—Turner's "sea of blood" as he described it—symbolizes the past hardships of war experienced during Napoleon's military campaigns. ''War'' debuted at the

Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purpo ...

besides Turner's other artwork ''Peace. Burial at Sea'' in 1842. ''Peace'' commemorates Turner's friend Scottish artist Sir David Wilkie who, while on a return voyage from the Far East, died of an illness in 1841. Like its companion piece, ''War'' was painted on a smaller canvas and was exhibited in an octagonal frame design. Together, ''War'' and ''Peace'' contrast the heroic figure that was Napoleon with Wilkie's lonely burial at sea. However, ''War'' fared poorly with critics who questioned Turner's decision to pair it with ''Peace'', widely considered the better of the two pieces. Turner's abstract approach to ''War'' is noted as an early stepping stone toward his more well-received painting '' Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway'' (1844).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:War. The Exile and the Rock Limpet Paintings by J. M. W. Turner 1842 paintings Paintings of Napoleon Water in art Sun in art Anti-war paintings Napoleonic Wars in art Oil paintings Works about exile

Background

See also

References