Turner The Fighting Temeraire Print
Last updated: 13 October 2026
This Fighting Temeraire print reproduces Turner's 1839 painting of a Trafalgar warship being towed up the Thames to the breaker's yard. Turner left the picture to the nation, and the National Gallery prints it to order on fine art paper or canvas.
Prices start at £25 for a Small unframed print on fine art paper and go up to £195 for a Large framed canvas. National Gallery members get 10% off. I checked the prices, sizes and delivery charges on the National Gallery Shop on 13 October 2026.
Buy The Fighting Temeraire print from £25
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The ship in Turner's painting
The full title is The Fighting Temeraire tugged to her last berth to be broken up, 1838. The Temeraire was a 98-gun warship that defended Nelson's flagship Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
By 1838 it was over 40 years old. The Admiralty sold it for £5,530 to a shipbreaker in Rotherhithe, and a steam tug towed the empty hull up the Thames from Sheerness. It reached the breaker's wharf on 6 September 1838.
Turner probably never saw the tow. He built the scene from reports and set it against a blazing sunset, with the pale old sailing ship behind a dark, smoking steam tug. It came to the nation in the Turner Bequest in 1856.
The Fighting Temeraire print sizes and prices
Every size comes on fine art paper or stretched canvas, unframed or framed. The shop lists sizes as height by width. The picture column is the printed image, so on paper the sheet is a little bigger than the picture, which leaves a white border.
| Size | Picture | Unframed | Framed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small, art paper | 22 x 29cm (8.5 x 11.5in) | £25, on a 30 x 40cm (12 x 15.5in) sheet | £85, 33 x 43cm (13 x 17in) framed |
| Medium, art paper | 33 x 43cm (13 x 17in) | £40, on a 45 x 60cm (17.5 x 23.5in) sheet | £130, 48 x 63cm (19 x 25in) framed |
| Large, art paper | 44 x 57cm (17.5 x 22.5in) | £55, on a 60 x 80cm (23.5 x 31.5in) sheet | £185, 63 x 83cm (25 x 32.5in) framed |
| Small, canvas | 31 x 40cm (12 x 15.5in) | £45 | £95, 35 x 44cm (14 x 17.5in) framed |
| Medium, canvas | 46 x 60cm (18 x 23.5in) | £75 | £145, 51 x 64cm (20 x 25in) framed |
| Large, canvas | 62 x 80cm (24.5 x 31.5in) | £130 | £195, 66 x 84cm (26 x 33in) framed |
Paper, canvas and frames
The prints are made by King & McGaw, the printmaker the National Gallery has worked with for over 40 years. Paper prints go on 300gsm Purcell Ultrasmooth matte fine art paper, printed in Sussex with vegan inks.
Framed paper prints come in five hardwood frames at the same price per size: Hand Stain Black, Hand Stain White, Hand Stain Dark Grey, Natural Oak and Narrow Brushed Gold. Each has an acid-free mount and acrylic glazing that blocks 90% of UV light, which the shop says is clearer and safer than glass and helps stop the print fading.
Canvas prints come stretched and ready to hang, or in a Black, White, Grey or Ash frame for the framed price.
Which size to choose
The Small art paper sheet, 40 x 30cm (15.5 x 12in), is about the size of a sheet of A3. The Medium, 60 x 45cm (23.5 x 17.5in), is a little bigger than A2, and the Large, 80 x 60cm (31.5 x 23.5in), is close to A1. Framing adds about 3cm each way. The Large canvas is 80cm along its long side, roughly the width of a standard internal door.
It is a landscape picture, so it suits a long wall over a sofa, a desk or a fireplace. The sunset is the brightest part, and a Narrow Brushed Gold or Natural Oak frame picks up its orange better than black does.
If you would rather buy unframed and frame it yourself, the Small and Medium sheets cost £60 and £90 less than the framed versions. Our page on the Moebe frame covers one simple option.
Delivery times and the no-returns rule
The gallery's print partner makes each print to order and posts it separately from anything else in your basket. UK delivery costs £8 for an unframed print, which arrives within 5 to 7 working days, and £12 for a framed print or a canvas, which takes 10 to 15 working days. Custom prints are not part of the shop's free delivery over £50.
Because they are made to order, custom prints cannot be returned for a refund. Measure the wall and check the size in the table before you order. If it is a Christmas present, a framed print or canvas ordered after Thursday 3 December may not arrive by Christmas Eve. An unframed print takes up to 7 working days, so for that the last safe day is about Tuesday 15 December.
International delivery is £14 unframed and £30 framed, within 21 working days. Shipping to the US has been suspended since 8 September 2025.
Seeing The Fighting Temeraire at the National Gallery
When I checked in October 2026, the original was hanging in Room 40 at the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, which is free to visit and open daily from 10am to 6pm, and until 9pm on Fridays. Its inventory number is NG524, and the National Gallery's page for the painting has the full record and a zoomable image.
Choose a size and frame at the National Gallery Shop
FAQs
How much is The Fighting Temeraire print?
£25 for a Small unframed print on fine art paper, up to £55 unframed in Large. Framed paper prints cost £85 to £185, and canvas runs from £45 unframed to £195 framed. I checked these prices on 13 October 2026.
Can I return a National Gallery custom print?
No. The shop makes custom prints to order, so it does not take them back for a refund. Check the size before you buy.
How long does a National Gallery print take to arrive?
Unframed prints arrive within 5 to 7 working days in the UK, for £8. Framed prints and canvases take 10 to 15 working days, for £12.
Did Turner see the Temeraire being towed?
Probably not. The National Gallery says he may not even have been in England at the time, and that he recreated the scene from contemporary reports.
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Prices, sizes and delivery times can change. The National Gallery Shop links on this page earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and brands do not choose what we feature.
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