Fighting Temeraire c. 19th century

Curator: This is James Tibbits Willmore’s interpretation of The Fighting Temeraire. Editor: It's haunting. The ship feels spectral, like a memory fading into the sunset. Curator: Willmore’s focus on the Temeraire places British naval power within larger narratives of empire and industrial advancement. Its obsolescence speaks to the human cost of progress. Editor: Absolutely. The use of etching to render the textures of the water and sky is striking; the printmaking process itself speaks to reproduction, industrial labor, and distribution. Curator: The Temeraire's journey is a reminder that history is not linear. The etching offers a point of entry for reflecting on Britain’s legacy of colonialism. Editor: Definitely. The material process reinforces the narrative—a naval icon reduced to ink on paper, circulated and consumed. It’s a poignant statement about the life cycle of objects and empires. Curator: It leaves us considering not only what was gained, but also what was lost. Editor: Precisely. It forces us to examine how we remember, or perhaps, choose to forget.