Entrance of the Meuse

1819, Joseph Mallord William Turner

On loan from Tate: Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856, © Tate, London 2009

Sailors in the foreground gather up the scattered cargo of oranges from a Dutch ship that has run aground in the river Meuse in Holland.

This turbulent scene is inspired by Dutch seascapes but is also a witty allusion to the financial losses of the royal House of Orange-Nassau during the Napoleonic wars.

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The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN