| Regulus | |
|---|---|
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| Artist | J. M. W. Turner |
| Year | 1828 (overpainted c.1829 and 1837) |
| Catalogue | 2011.6 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 89.5 cm × 123.8 cm (35.2 in × 48.7 in) |
| Location | Tate Britain, London |
Regulus is an oil painting by English artist J. M. W. Turner, first painted in 1828 and overpainted during a varnishing day in 1837. It depicts the story of the Roman consul Marcus Atilius Regulus, who was captured by Carthaginian forces and eventually executed after being blinded by the sun. The scene is a landscape of either Rome or Carthage, with ships and buildings surrounding the ocean. The painting is dominated by the blinding white sun in the centre.
Turner originally painted and exhibited Regulus during a 1828 visit to Rome, after which it was transported back to England, where he lived. At some point during or after the shipping, the upper left part of the canvas was torn, requiring a repair and repainting. The work was kept in Turner's gallery until 1837, when it was overpainted during a varnishing day at the British Institution. It subsequently gained notoriety, inspiring two derivative paintings and two engravings. Regulus was a controversial work, leading to it being stabbed in 1863 by a homeless man named Walter Stephenson. It is currently held at Tate Britain in London.