Keelmen Heaving in Coals by Moonlight

J. M. W. Turner

1835 · Oil on canvas · National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

Size2:3 ratio

Frame

$59Unframed print · made to order

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Complete the setHangs well with these two

This print

Keelmen Heaving in Coals by Moonlight

Approach to Venice

Dido Building Carthage

3 × $59 at 16 × 24 in, unframed = $177 → $159.30 as a set · 10% included · free shipping

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Giclée-printed to order on heavyweight matte fine-art paper

Ships worldwide in 3–6 business days after production

Arrives perfect or we reprint it — free

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About this work

Artist: J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851)
Year: 1835
Medium: Oil on canvas
Original size: 92.3 × 122.8 cm
Collection: National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
Movement: Romanticism

On the River Tyne at night, keelmen transfer coal from their flat-bottomed keels into the ships that will carry it south, their torches blazing orange against a flood of cool white moonlight that opens a path across the still water. The setting is the port of Newcastle; dark smoke drifts up at the right, perhaps a nod to the pollution of the new industrial age. Turner painted it in 1835 for the Manchester textile manufacturer Henry McConnel as a deliberate companion to the Venetian view McConnel had bought from him the year before: working, industrial Britain set against the dreamlike serenity of Venice. It was shown at the Royal Academy in 1835. The two canvases were separated when McConnel sold them in 1849 and reunited when both entered the National Gallery of Art in Washington in 1942 with the Widener Collection.

This exhibition-poster edition shows the whole work beneath original typography set in-house. The original is in the public domain.

Where it works

Orange torches against a flood of cool white moonlight on still water, a nocturne for a study, den or dining room at 16×24 or 24×36 in black. A charcoal, navy or deep green wall; hang it beside the Venice view it was painted to contrast.

Style: Exhibition poster of a Romanticism painting
Era: 19th century (1835)
Orientation: Portrait
Palette: cream & beige
Mood: dramatic, moody
Rooms: living room, dining room, dorm room, hallway or entryway
Good gift for: housewarming, art lovers

Size. Prints at 12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in — 12×18 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 16×24 above a desk, console or in a hallway; 24×36 as the statement piece above a sofa or bed.

Framing. Exhibition posters sit best in a slim black frame with no mat — the typeset margin is the mat.

Pairing. Pairs as a set of three with other famous painting prints (10% off three or more).

Details & materials

• Exhibition poster — original, drawn in-house • Heavyweight matte fine-art paper, giclée printed at 300 DPI • Sizes: 12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in; 12×18 and 16×24 and 24×36 also available framed in black or natural wood • Made to order; colours may vary slightly from screen

Shipping & returns

Produced in 2–4 business days, then shipped from the facility nearest you. Delivery is typically 3–6 business days (US/UK/EU) and 5–12 worldwide. Because each print is made to order we don't take change-of-mind returns, but if it arrives damaged or flawed we'll reprint or refund it — no return needed. Full policy →

Is this the whole painting, or a crop?

The whole work, uncropped. The exhibition-poster edition sets the complete image above typography designed in-house.

Is Keelmen Heaving in Coals by Moonlight in the public domain?

Yes. J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851) died more than 70 years ago and the work was published before 1929, so the painting itself is public domain. This print is a reproduction made from a high-resolution scan of the original, which is held by National Gallery of Art.

What is it printed on?

Heavyweight matte fine-art paper with pigment inks, made to order in 12×18, 16×24 and 24×36 inches; the two larger sizes are also offered framed. Colours are matched to the scan, not brightened.

When was Keelmen Heaving in Coals by Moonlight painted, and in what medium?

Keelmen Heaving in Coals by Moonlight dates from 1835 and was made in oil on canvas; the original measures 92.3 × 122.8 cm.

What size works above a sofa or bed?

For a standard three-seat sofa or a queen bed, 24×36 inches reads as a single statement piece; 16×24 suits a narrower wall or a pairing. The print's proportions follow the original, so a landscape-format painting is wider than it is tall.

About this design

A museum-exhibition poster of J. M. W. Turner's Keelmen Heaving in Coals by Moonlight — Keelmen Heaving in Coals by Moonlight — a full moon over the Tyne, the coal-barges lit by torches against a silver sky — shown whole and uncropped beneath gallery typography. Light, Storm and Sea: The English Romantic, styled as a blockbuster exhibition print. A gallery-style exhibition poster: a celebrated public-domain artwork shown whole and uncropped beneath original exhibition typography set in-house — printed to order on heavyweight matte fine-art paper. Three sizes (12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in); the 16×24 and 24×36 are also offered framed. Part of the Madten Exhibition Posters Collection. — — — Printed to order and shipped by our production partner, Gelato.

Buy with confidence

The Madten promise

Gallery-grade archival giclée. Rich pigment inks on heavyweight fine-art paper (or gallery-wrapped canvas) — built to last, not a poster-shop print.

Arrives perfect or we reprint it — free. Every piece is made to order; if it shows up damaged or flawed we remake it, no return needed.

Free worldwide shipping. Made & shipped from the facility nearest you — most orders arrive in ~4–8 business days.

Secure checkout. Payments handled by Stripe; we never see or store your card.

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