War. The Exile and the Rock Limpet

Intended to be a companion piece to Turner's Peace - Burial at Sea, War is a painting that depicts a moment from Napoleon Bonaparte's exile at Saint Helena.

In December 1815, the former Emperor was taken by the British government to the Longwood House, despite its state of disrepair, to live in captivity; during his final years of isolation, Napoleon had fallen into despair.

Turner's decision to pair the painting with Peace was heavily criticized when it was first exhibited but it is also seen as predecessor to his more famous piece Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway (1844).

At the conclusion of his Hundred Days, Napoleon Bonaparte, who suffered a decisive defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, had fallen under the custody of the British after considering a bid for an escape to the United States.

[3] Turner's abstract approach to War is noted as an early stepping stone toward his more well-received painting Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway (1844).