Apollo killing the python (1860-12)

J.M.W. Turner prints fill a room with light, weather and color. Turner was an English Romantic painter, regarded as one of the greatest British artists of the 19th century, whose glowing skies and stormy seas later inspired Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro. This collection gathers art prints of his views of Venice, stormy coasts, Swiss lakes, Rhine castles and English towns, along with pages from his sketchbooks and many luminous watercolors.

About Joseph Mallord William Turner

Joseph Mallord William Turner was born on 23 April 1775 in Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, in London, in a working-class neighborhood. A child prodigy, he trained as an architectural draftsman and watercolorist and was accepted as a student at the Royal Academy of Arts at just fourteen.

He rose quickly. By his early twenties he was selling oil paintings at top prices, and at 27 he became a full Royal Academician, one of the youngest in the Academy's history. Throughout his life he traveled widely in Britain and Europe, filling sketchbooks with views of mountains, rivers, cities and coasts, from Scotland and Wales to the Alps, the Rhine and Venice.

Turner never stopped experimenting, and his late works grew ever more free and abstract, puzzling many critics of the time. He produced around 550 oil paintings and over 2,000 watercolors. He died at his home in Chelsea, London, on 19 December 1851, a wealthy man, and left about 300 paintings to the nation. His most important works are in the National Gallery and Tate Britain.

Style and Subjects

Turner's great subject was light. He painted the sun burning through mist, storms at sea, snow and rain, steam and smoke, using bold color and loose, expressive brushwork. In his later pictures solid forms dissolve into swirling atmosphere.

His subjects range widely: shipwrecks and sea battles, classical and historical scenes, Venice in golden haze, Alpine lakes, English cathedrals and castles, and the new world of steamships and railways. His watercolors, many made on his travels, are fresh, delicate and full of light.

Famous Works

• Snow Storm: Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps (1812), Tate, London. A huge vortex of storm cloud overwhelms an army in the mountains.
• Venice, from the Porch of Madonna della Salute (c. 1835), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The Grand Canal in shimmering light.
• The Fighting Temeraire (1839), National Gallery, London. An old warship towed to be broken up at sunset, voted one of Britain's favorite paintings.
• The Slave Ship (1840), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A terrible scene of enslaved people thrown overboard in a storm.
• Snow Storm: Steam-Boat off a Harbour's Mouth (1842), Tate, London. A steamboat lost in a whirl of snow and sea.
• Approach to Venice (1844). Venice glowing on the horizon in a golden sunset.
• Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway (1844), National Gallery, London. A steam train races through rain across a bridge.

Decorating with Turner Prints

Turner's glowing Venice views and sunsets bring warmth and light to a living room, bedroom or dining room. Their golds, soft blues and pearly whites suit both classic and modern interiors, and look stunning in gilt or simple white frames.

His stormy seas and dramatic skies make a bold statement in a study or hallway, while his delicate watercolors of lakes, castles and towns are lovely grouped together on a gallery wall.

FAQ

What art movement was J.M.W. Turner part of?

Turner was an English Romantic painter. His bold, expressive treatment of light and color influenced the Impressionists, including Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro.

What is Turner's most famous painting?

The Fighting Temeraire (1839) and Rain, Steam and Speed (1844), both in the National Gallery in London, are among his best-known works.

Where can I see Turner's original paintings?

The largest collection is at Tate Britain in London, and the National Gallery has some of his greatest works. Others are in museums around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

How can you recognize a Turner painting?

Look for dramatic light and atmosphere: glowing suns, swirling storms, mist and haze, with forms often dissolving into color. His watercolors are delicate and luminous.

How many works did Turner leave to the nation?

Turner left about 100 finished and 200 unfinished oil paintings to the British nation, along with thousands of drawings and watercolors. They form the Turner Bequest, mostly at Tate Britain.

Related Artists

• John Constable — his great contemporary and rival in English landscape painting
• Thomas Girtin — friend and fellow watercolorist of his youth
• Claude Lorrain — the classical master whose landscapes he admired and rivaled
• Thomas Malton — architectural draftsman who taught him perspective
• John Ruskin — critic and artist who championed Turner's work