Focus on this artwork and explore the Background.
The painting was painted close to the end of the Industrial Revolution, which brought a massive shift from an agrarian economy to one dominated by machine manufacturing in the Victorian era. The railway was among the most potent symbols of industrialisation, since this new way of transportation heavily affected industrial and social life. Turner seemed to be a generation ahead of other artists, as he was among the few painters at the time to consider industrial advancement as a commendable subject of art. The painting suggests that modern technology is a reality racing towards us.The Great Western Railway (GWR) was one of a number of private British railway companies created to develop the new means of transport. The location of the painting is widely accepted as Maidenhead Railway Bridge, across the River Thames between Taplow and Maidenhead; a place that Turner had been exploring for over thirty years. The view is looking east towards London. The bridge was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and completed in 1839.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel Maidenhead Railway Bridge Industrial Revolution Victorian era Great Western Railway London