Original artwork by Turner on display at dockyard

Original works by JMW Turner are on display at the Historic Dockyard Chatham, offering visitors a rare glimpse into the artist's connection with the River Medway.

The exhibition includes Turner's Medway sketchbook and his second sketch for The Battle of Trafalgar, on loan from Tate.

Organisers said the artist was fascinated by Chatham and visited the dockyard to sketch the site where HMS Victory and HMS Temeraire were built.

Nick Ball, collections, galleries and interpretation manager of the trust, said they were "excited" to have curated this exhibition, alongside the works of contemporary artist, Jake Wood-Evans.

"With more than 400 years of maritime history, the dockyard had inspired creators for centuries," Ball added.

"Turner came here in the 1820s to sketch the ships, and now Wood-Evans follows in his wake with a remarkable new body of work."

Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust explained that the exhibition, In Turner's Wake, showed how the celebrated painter continued to inspire artists today.

"The exhibition explores Turner's connection to Chatham Dockyard and the lasting influence he has had on my work," Wood-Evans says.

Wood-Evans' is known for creating atmospheric oil paintings inspired by classical art.

He has had his collections displayed in different parts of the world, including United States, France, Israel and Puerto Rico.

Apart from a short trip to France in 1802, war prevented Turner travelling across Europe until after 1815.

Instead, he travelled extensively around Britain.

He chronicled his journeys in sketchbooks, finding inspiration in the maritime world including the River Medway.

The trust said Turner did detailed research for his painting of the Battle of Trafalgar, visiting Chatham in 1806 to study HMS Victory.

The work was commissioned by King George IV in 1822 for St James's Palace and was intended to celebrate Britain's naval achievements.

Rather than portraying the battle as a straightforward historical record, the trust said Turner presented it as a grand and symbolic depiction of national triumph.

During visits to the River Medway, Turner sketched scenes around Rochester and closely observed the ships being built, repaired and fitted out at Chatham Dockyard.

The exhibition is due to finish on 15 November.

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