The painting in the museum is [J.M.W. Turner's][1] [The Fighting Temeraire][2]

This is a painting of a ship that had played an important part in the Battle of Trafalgar, but 34 years later, was being towed to be broken up for scrap.

![The Fighting Temeraire][3]

(File from [Wikipedia Commons][4])

That bit was easy to work out.  It is one of the most famous British paintings and I recognized it immediately.

The painting from M's office is less well known picture of the Battle of Trafalgar, with HMS Victory.  The clever part is that the Temeraire was the ship that immediately followed HMS Victory into battle at Trafalgar.

The suggestion from the appearance of this pair of paintings is that we are no longer seeing a tired old warrior any more, but same warrior is seen as if reborn, ready for action.

It is clearly no coincidence, and the director is using the pictures to symbolize Bond rejuvenated and ready to carry out the next mission for Her Majesty's Government.

There is a more detailed analysis in this [excellent blog post][5].  Great Question, made me look into this.


  [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._M._W._Turner
  [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fighting_Temeraire
  [3]: https://i.sstatic.net/Ap39Z.jpg
  [4]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Turner,_J._M._W._-_The_Fighting_T%C3%A9m%C3%A9raire_tugged_to_her_last_Berth_to_be_broken.jpg
  [5]: http://jibridgland.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/skyfall-and-painting-in-ms-office.html