Rain, Steam and Speed, by J M W Turner

A famous painting by a well-loved British artist

“Rain, Steam and Speed” is one of JMW Turner’s best-known works. It marks him out as one of the greatest painters of all time.

Rain, Steam and Speed

The full title of this painting is “Rain, Steam and Speed — The Great Western Railway”. It was first exhibited in 1844 and is now on view at London’s National Gallery. It was painted in oils on canvas and measures 91 centimetres by 122 centimetres (36 inches by 48 inches).

JMW Turner was always fascinated by light and movement, and this mature painting (he was 69 in 1844 and had seven years left to live) is a prime example of how he was able to bring dramatic atmospheric effects to canvas. These are well summarised by the title, as the combination of bad weather and the steam and smoke from a speeding railway train dominate the painting.

There is an interesting story about how it came to be painted.

Lady Simon was travelling by train from Exeter to London and shared her compartment with an elderly gentleman who was unknown to her. It was a wet day, and as the train passed through a large town the weather became even worse.