The "Face of Turner" Project
The validity of the subject matter, in terms of the sitter, has been called into question in the past, as portraits are often untitled and their provenance is therefore difficult to accurately determine. JMW Turner lived in a world yet to see the invention of photography. Artists were restricted in their attemps to capture his likeness through portraiture, tending to show discrepancies in the facial physiognomy presented. This raises questions:
What did Turner look like?
Which of the Turner portraits is the most representative of the man behind the icon?
Why do these portraits vary so considerably from one another?
These portraits are all credited as subjective of Turner by the respective artists themselves. Only one is not –a portrait by the great Cornelius Varley. Varley's enigma has generated sustained interest around the world through it's mystery. Firstly, it is neither signed nor dated by the artist; secondly, there is no evidence that Turner knew Varley to any great degree; Finally, the handsome man represented in the portrait looks strikingly different to the other images of Turner.
The Scenario
The aim of this project was to determine, using forensic science techniques utilised in facial recognition/ identification, if JMW Turner was the subject of a portrait by Cornelius Varley. Any conclusive answers that could arise from the project could lead to the possible dissolution of society as a whole towards the face of a British icon, offering a foundation for far-reaching discussion beyond the project's conclusion.
The Varley portrait was created using a graphic telescope (a precursor to the daguerreotype) and consequently is argued by art historians to be the most anatomically correct representation of Turner while in the prime of his life.
Answering the fundamental question ‘is the Varley portrait of Turner?’ is of great importance to art historians, collectors and Turner enthusiasts. Turner himself is considered a national pioneer and often seen as the inspiration for impressionists. It is my opinion that JMW Turner personifies the best of British Art. His donations to the British people, in the form of the Turner bequest, established this British icon as a national treasure.
My project aims at presenting new anthropological evidence that will either confirm or refute the claim from sceptics, who doubt that the subject of the Varley portrait is the famed JMW Turner. This website allows the general public to follow the stages of my project through to its conclusion and beyond.
Death Mask
I believe that the only method for attempting an authentication is via a 2D-to-3D superimposition of the Varley portrait with the only verified 'real' image of Turner; his death mask. This has been accomplished by laser scanning Turner's death mask and inputting that data into a computer, where it could be correctly scaled, orientated and aligned over an image of the Varley portrait. I have then tried to ascertain whether the subject of the portrait is JMW Turner or not.
Animation
As I was in possession of the 3D laser scanned data from the death mask, I subjected Turner to virtual animation, adding hair and clothing, producing an image of what Turner really must have looked like when he was alive. I have assessed images of him from portraits, as a reference for predicting his life-like appearance.
