faceofturner.com

A Beginning

Joseph Mallord William Turner was born on the 23rd April 1775. Born and raised in central London, Turner was influenced early on by the coloured, hectic and often sordid undercurrents of city life. There exists little firm knowledge concerning Turner’s early education and artistic training yet his talent was obvious not only to his family but also to the engravers who employed him at an early age as a colourist.

The Novice

In 1789, the young Turner was admitted to the Royal Academy where he was to study for several years. Amongst his peers were the likes of Thomas Girtin. In 1799, at the age of 24, Turner was elected as an associate member of the Royal Academy – the youngest member elected in History. A few years later he was to become a full member; at 26, again setting another record as youngest member.

Creative Achievements

With the peace treaty signed between England and France in 1802, Turner embraced his chance to travel to the continent, honing his artistic skills and producing magnificent works of art. On his return, Turner established his own gallery from his Harley street residence and opened his first exhibition in 1804. ‘The Shipwreck’ proved to be his first recognised artistic success, itself sold for a substantial amount. Such early success characterised Turner's production of a series of mezzotint engravings, which he collectively titled the Liber Studiorum, launching the artist into the public eye and eagerly sought by collectors from the mid 1800s through to the early 20th century. Turner became a household name and, in 1809, was elected Professor of perspective at the Royal Academy.

Italian Adventures

In 1819, Turner spent a year traversing Italy, studying the architecture of Rome, the landscapes of Tuscany and the artistic heritage of Florence. He was greatly inspired by Italian art’s classic tradition. Italy formed the background for Turner's passion for clear, Italian light and the creation of many paintings depicting the transformations in light, from sunrises to great fires. His quest to capture the subtleties in light transcended his art from that of Romanticism towards the era of Impressionism.

Following a return visit from Italy in 1822, Turner opened his new gallery in Queen Anne Street, paying homage to his classic Italian art obsession. His great masterpiece ‘Ulysses deriding Polyphemus – Homer’s Odyssey’ was painted in 1829 following a trip to Rome. John Ruskin described this painting as the 'central picture in Turner’s career’ in serving as a manifesto for Turner‘s supremacy as the greatest painter of light and colour.

In 1839, Turner displayed what is considered to be his most famous and financially successful painting, ‘The fighting Téméraire tugged to her last berth to be broken up’, a painting admired by critics of the time and idolised by the public ever since. Concurrently, JMW Turner’s fame spread throughout Europe and America and resulted in numerous commissions from esteemed individuals, including Sir Walter Scott and Lord Byron; Turner interpreted their sublime prose and poetry into stunning visual art.

Posthumous Fame and the Turner Bequest

JMW Turner died on 19th December 1851 and was laid to rest in St. Paul’s Cathedral. He left monies in his will for the building of a charitable foundation that could enable unrecognised artists to exhibit their creations, as well as providing a means of displaying his own life work to the general public. Donated to this ‘Turner foundation’ were 300 paintings, 20,000 watercolours and 19,000 sketches. After many years, the Turner Gallery was eventually opened in 1987, located in a special wing at the Tate known as The Clore Gallery.

JMW Turner has many recognised qualities as an artist: an extraordinary imagination, great attention to detail, experimentations with capturing light, and remarkable depictions of history and nature but to name a few. As a consequence, Turner is considered by many to be the greatest artist of his generation and was voted the nation's favourite artist of all time. His personal and financial contributions to British art will never be forgotten and his works remain forever as a testament to an artistic genius, immortalised through the Turner bequest.