The Tate Gallery in London features hundreds of Turner paintings.
Joseph Mallord William Turner was an English painter who lived from 1775 to 1851. Turner, who was also known for his oil painting, began as a watercolorist and did many studies of nature in this medium. The transparency of watercolor may have contributed to his revolutionary use of light and color, which is said to have paved the way for Impressionism and the birth of Modern Art. The subjects of Turner's paintings range from picturesque and dramatic English landscapes to sites of historic events to landscapes linked with literary themes such as "The Destruction of Sodom." Water is prominent in many of Turner's landscapes.
"The Deluge" (1805)
"The Deluge" is an example of a landscape painting that deals with the biblical theme of the great flood. Biblical stories are not only dramatic, but were considered consequential and lofty. In this painting, anguished figures huddle in the foreground while others are already being carried off by floodwater amidst the furry of the storm. The painting style, with its dark colors and high contrast, conveys a severity appropriate to the horror of the scene. Turner's painting is modeled after an earlier work by Nicolas Poussin painted around 1660.
"The Plym Estuary from Boringdon Park" (1813)
"The Plym Estuary" is one of Turner's early plein-air, oil sketches. It was painted on location during the artist's visit to Devon, England. The style is in keeping with traditional English landscapes. The scene is pleasant, the colors are tempered, and the painting gives a sense of solid landforms and the illusion of depth.
"Burning of the House of Lords and Commons" (1834)
This famous Turner landscape is linked to an historic event. It is very different from the previous example in that recognizable objects are almost lost in the energy of light and color. Fire, a force of nature, is depicted as violent and out of human control. It is consuming government buildings, which represent the pinnacle of human reason, leadership and power. The tiny figures are completely engulfed by nature's fury.
"Sunset over a Ruined Castle on a Cliff" (circa 1835-9)
"Sunset over a Ruined Castle on a Cliff" is a watercolor painting that exemplifies Turner's unorthodox use of color. Watercolor was used in China since the third century but was popularized in Europe by Turner's generation of painters. Instead of mixing colors, making them muted, it is clear that Turner applied pure colors, layering them without loosing the essence of each color. This painting also embodies the Romantic sentiment of nature pervading over the accomplishments of civilization.
"The Fighting Temeraire tugged to her Last Berth to be broken up, 1838" (1839)
"The Fighting Temeraire..." was voted "Greatest Painting in Britain" in a 2005, BBC/National Gallery poll. It was painted in 1839, the year after the incident occurred. Turner painted an event that other contemporary artists did not find worthy of painting. A gallant warship, The Tempaire, had defended Britain in a decisive victory against the French, in the Battle of Trafalgar, but was made obsolete by technological advances. Here it is being towed to its final resting place, a ship-breaker's yard in Rotherhithe, South London.
