Local links

Thorpe Greenways Infant School

Thorpe Greenways Infant School is a large school located near Southend-on-Sea in Essex, close to the route of the Temeraire's final journey down the Thames. The painting provided a perfect opportunity to explore local history.

Year 1 children (five to six years old) looked at London landmarks along the Thames and noticed how they were reflected in the water. They made pen drawings on painted Brusho backgrounds, then thickened the lines with charcoal and used pastels to add colour and reflections. Glitter gel was used to pick out lights and highlight the sky.

Year 2 pupils (six to seven years old) explored Old Leigh, a local fishing village, which the Temeraire would have passed on its final voyage. Making contact with a cockle company, the children found out about local industry; the fishing boat, 'The Renown', which was used in the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940; and 'Boy Lukie', a boat named after one of the original crew members of 'The Renown', who had died when it was hit by a mine.

The children sketched the boats outdoors, and then, like Turner, used 'artistic licence' to develop their compositions back at school using paint, oil pastel, pen and charcoal. The children also wrote leaflets about the village, which they published using 2Publish software.

© Thorpe Greenways Infant School. Photo: The National Gallery, London.