J. M. W. Turner

Joseph Mallord William Turner painted not things but light, steam and storm – and so became a pioneer of modern painting.

Life

Born in London in 1775, the son of a barber, he was admitted to the Royal Academy Schools at 14 and became a full Academician in 1802, aged 27. He travelled tirelessly through Britain, to France, Switzerland and Venice, always with sketchbooks. He worked in oil and watercolour, sold well and yet remained headstrong. On his death in 1851 he left hundreds of paintings and thousands of drawings to the nation.

Style & technique

Turner dissolved forms in light and atmosphere: sun, mist, spray and fire swallow ships, bridges and cities. He painted on light grounds with translucent layers and scratched out highlights. He set modern subjects such as steamships and railways alongside myth and history.

Look closely

  • The light source: the sun often stands almost in the middle and dazzles.
  • The dissolution: how much of the ship or the city can you really make out?
  • The watercolours: how little paint does he need for a whole landscape?

Timeline

  • 1775: Born in London.
  • 1789: Admitted to the Royal Academy Schools.
  • 1802: Full member of the Royal Academy.
  • 1819: First journey to Italy, first encounter with Venice.
  • 1851: Dies in London.

Works in the museum