William Turner

J.M.W. Turner, full name Joseph Mallord William Turner, was born April 23, 1775, in London, England and died December 19, 1851. The English romantic landscape painter whose expressionistic studies of light, colour, and atmosphere were unique and unrivaled in his day.

His father was a barber, supporting the family through his wife’s struggles with mental illness, a condition worsened by the death of Turner’s younger sister in 1786. His mother later being hospitalized because of mental illness dying in 1800. Turner’s father was an ardent supporter of his work and it is rumored that his father sold early watercolors to customers around 1787 onwards. Turner spent a part of his childhood with his uncle in Brentwood, later returning to London.

In 1789 Turner was admitted to the Royal Academy of Arts in London, and by the following year was allowed to show his work at the Royal Academy Exhibition. In 1794 Turner began working for engravers, creating designs for the Copper Plate Magazine and Pocket Magazine. He was employed to make elaborations of unfinished drawings by the deceased landscape painter John R. Cozens, and Richard Williams. This had a great influence on Turner and helped broaden Turner’s outlook revealing a more poetic approach to landscape. In years to come this would come to define much of his work. A master at perspective he was appointed as a professor in the Royal Academy and taught from 1807–1828.

Turner was a private man, never married, though he had a long term relationship with Sarah Danby a house maid and is reported to have fathered 2 daughters. He struggled with meloncholy, known to be eccentric, reclusive and moody.

Turner was immensly successful in his career, selling and receiving commissions to paint family estates from many of the wealthier society. Turner was immensely successful in his career, selling and receiving commissions to paint family estates from many of the wealthier societies. Turner often traveled abroad to Rome, Venice, and much of Europe as well as Wales and Scotland. He filled numerous sketchbooks with preliminary drawings and watercolors many he would develop into final watercolor and oil compositions.

Turner’s work continued to advance and develop over the years into a style that was uniquely his and different to the painting style of the day. The vast number of commissions and popularity of his work testifies to the skill and beauty of his work. A master at perspective both aerial and linear he was able to create remarkable depth in his work. Although his paintings are often high key and very luminous, he effectively conveys the feeling of distance. Many of his works could be described as early tonalist.

A closer look at many of Turner’s paintings reveal a copious use of a simplified palette. Whether this was because he traveled and chose to carry few supplies or because he preferred to work from a limited palette is unknown. But when observing many of his watercolors it is very clear that he worked with a palette of primary hues. Using warm and cool colors to create value and depth. Thus Turner’s works are filled with freshness and clean color harmony.

To lean more of the principles Turner applied in his work join us at the Virtual Art Academy, and for a comprehensive and structured program of instruction on how to paint, see these online painting classes, with Barry John Raybould.