J M W Turner1775-1851

“The Sun is God”

Born into the industrial revolution

● End of an era

● Leisure industry

● Age of Reason

● Technological revolution

● Challenge of orthodox religion

At an early age he was selling his drawings from his Father's hairdressing shop window in St Martins Lane, London

Turner's birthplace by JW Archer 1852

The Young Turner

He worked for Thomas Malton tinting and working up topographical drawings

By the time he was 24 he had more commissions than he could handle

1806 when aged 29 he painted 'Sun Raising through Vapour:' and 'Fishermen cleaning and selling Fish.'

Fishermen by the Sea 1796

Monet greatly admired this painting.

The small figure in foreground is his daughter, Jessica

Jessica

Depicted on Varnishing Day at the Royal Academy. He would send in an incomplete picture, which he would proceed to finish in front of his astonished colleagues. His cloths are not a caricature, he always dressed in this manner. The word yellow painted on the bucket is an allusion to his attachment to this colour. Turner associated yellow with the brightest form of light and joy.

Turner's Gallery The Tate –

Turner left some 270 paintings and 19,000 drawings (a drawing for every day of his life)to the nation along with 140,000 pounds (a few million today) for 'poor artists'

" Light is created by painting over the areas that he wishes to illuminate with a wet brush (a general background has already been applied with a deep colour where necessary) and with some blotting paper heighten the resulting wet colour. After this he recleans the area with pieces of bread. Any other colour could now be applied here. White chalk is now used to heighten the forms which must be illuminated. A rough and full form can be obtained by passing a camel-hair brush over these forms, which reduces the dampness of the area thus touched so that only those areas affected by the blotting paper are heightened."

from Frarinton's Diary

Norham Castle

Using ultramarine blue, light orange and naples yellow in the soft blended under painting Turner would progress to paint the main subject i.e. castle boat, mountain. Using stronger sometimes-warmer colours, painting recognizable forms but not particularly detailed. This could be as far as he goes, the painting is either regard as finished, or abandoned as a reference work for the future.

Colour the beginning–

The Burning of the Houses of Parliament

The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, 16th October 1834, Exhibited 1835, 92 x 123 cm. Philadelphia Museum of Art. Turner witnessed the burning of Parliament from a boat on the River Thames.

Death on a Pale Horse 1825

Letter from Thomas Uwins dated 3 February 1829. I have fortunately met with a good-tempered, funny, little, elderly gentleman, who will probably be my traveling companion throughout the journey. He is continually popping his head out of the window to sketch whatever strikes his fancy, and became quite angry because the conductor would not wait for him whilst he took a sunrise view of Macerata. 'Dawn the fellow!' says he. 'He has no feeling.'. . . He speaks but a few words of Italian, about as much French, which two languages he jumbles together most amusingly. His good temper, however, carries him though all his troubles. I am sure you would love him for his indefatigability in his favorite pursuit. From his conversations he is evidently near kin to, if not absolutely, an artist. Probably you may know something of him. The name on his truck is, J.M.W. Turner!

Ancient Rome

Watercolour paper used in Turner’s days is dissimilar from today’s refined rag-content softer quality, then paper could be worked at, the surfaces removed were required. Turner used this characteristic to his advantage in his painting approach. First though he would start vary delicately with wet into wet washes adding colour as need be to heighten areas. Before the paint dries he may use a natural sponge blending sections by stippling.

At or beyond this point he maybe felt the painting required softening or blending even more, so he may immerse the whole painting in a bucket of water which would also remove some of the colour. Before the watercolour dries he would wipeout with a sponge the parts to be left white or lighter, and allow the painting to dry, or after the painting is dry for a more defined white.

We shouldn't underestimate Turners ability to capture character

A Bevy of Beautiful Women

The Red Lady

The servants kitchen at Petworth

The Marble Room

Petworth House

Dido - Carthage

The Fighting Temeraire

The Battle of Trafalgar, 1822 - 1824 259 x 365.8 cm

A witness reports this painting was finished by lunchtime

Rain, Steam, Speed

Detail.

This train was doing 90mph, or about double the speed of the Overlander.

Turner readily embraced new technology.

Turner showed us that the real world is an illusion.

Through him we can see beyond the illusion, something beyond our day to day existence

He doesn't insult the viewers intelligence

He saw that the secret of life is the creation of eternity.

Great insight is simplifies it looks –obvious once delivered.

Those who can't verbose.

Light and Colour

In 1851 he disappeared for several months.Eventually his housekeeper found him in Cheyne Walk, Chelsea

Brought back to his home he died the following morning.

His last request was to be wheeled before the windows and the curtains opened to see the Sun.

His last words carved on his tomb in St Pauls are “"It is through these eyes, closed forever at the bottom of the tomb, that generations as yet unborn will see nature.”.