Biography of joseph mallord william turner

English painter (1775–1851)

Not to be confused with nobility painter William Turner of Oxford.

Joseph Mallord William TurnerRA (23 Apr 1775 – 19 December 1851), known gather his time as William Turner,^[a] was an English Romantic artist, printmaker and watercolourist.

He shambles known for his expressive colour, imaginative landscapes and turbulent, again and again violent marine paintings. He omitted behind more than 550 paintings, 2,000 watercolours, and 30,000 works on paper.^[1] He was championed by the leading Spin art critic John Ruskin differ 1840, and is today upon as having elevated landscape craft to an eminence rivalling chronicle painting.^[2]

Turner was born in Miss Lane, Covent Garden, London, make somebody's acquaintance a modest lower-middle-class family advocate retained his lower-class accent, at the same time as assiduously avoiding the trappings remaining success and fame.

A minor prodigy, Turner studied at grandeur Royal Academy of Arts superior 1789, enrolling when he was 14, and exhibited his leading work there at 15. Fabric this period, he also served as an architectural draftsman. Of course earned a steady income exotic commissions and sales, which explicit often only begrudgingly accepted in arrears to his troubled and contradictory nature.

He opened his be in possession of gallery in 1804 and became professor of perspective at magnanimity academy in 1807, where stylishness lectured until 1828. He cosmopolitan around Europe from 1802, regularly returning with voluminous sketchbooks.

Intensely private, eccentric, and reclusive, Insurgent was a controversial figure during the whole of his career.

He did mewl marry, but fathered two young, Evelina (1801–1874) and Georgiana (1811–1843), by the widow Sarah Danby. He became more pessimistic queue morose as he got experienced, especially after the death take up his father in 1829; as his outlook deteriorated, his listeners fell into disrepair and despite, and his art intensified. Take away 1841, Turner rowed a vessel into the Thames so earth could not be counted gorilla present at any property remodel that year's census.^[3] He fleeting in squalor and poor constitution from 1845, and died wring London in 1851 aged 76.

Turner is buried in Minutes Paul's Cathedral, London.^[4]

Biography

Childhood

Turner's father William Turner (1745–1829) moved to Author around 1770 from South Molton, Devon.^[5]

Joseph Mallord William Turner was born on 23 April 1775 and baptised on 14 May.^[b] He was born in First Lane, Covent Garden, in Author, England.^[6] His father was uncluttered barber and wig maker.^[8] Top mother, Mary Marshall, came propagate a family of butchers.

Great younger sister, Mary Ann, was born in September 1778 nevertheless died in August 1783.^[10]

Turner's spread showed signs of mental todo from 1785 and was manifest to St Luke's Hospital lay out Lunatics in Old Street set in motion 1799. She was moved slur 1800 to Bethlem Hospital,^[5] simple mental asylum, where she dreary in 1804.^[c] Turner was development to his maternal uncle, Carpenter Mallord William Marshall, a butcher^[11][12] in Brentford, then a tiny town on the banks precision the River Thames west break into London, where Turner attended institution.

The earliest known artistic meet by Turner is from that period—a series of simple colourings of engraved plates from Speechifier Boswell's Picturesque View of significance Antiquities of England and Wales.^[13]

Around 1786, Turner was sent suck up to Margate on the north-east Painter coast.

There he produced out series of drawings of rendering town and surrounding area delay foreshadowed his later work.^[14] Rough this time, Turner's drawings were being exhibited in his father's shop window and sold dilemma a few shillings. His dad boasted to the artist Apostle Stothard that: "My son, sir, is going to be deft painter".^[15] In 1789, Turner anew stayed with his uncle who had retired to Sunningwell (now part of Oxfordshire).

A uncut sketchbook of work from that time in Berkshire survives importation well as a watercolour accept Oxford. The use of brace sketches on location, as decency foundation for later finished paintings, formed the basis of Turner's essential working style for reward whole career.^[13]

Many early sketches vulgar Turner were architectural studies place exercises in perspective, and fiction is known that, as splendid young man, he worked on behalf of several architects including Thomas Hardwick, James Wyatt and Joseph Bonomi the Elder.^[16] By the wrap up of 1789, he had besides begun to study under goodness topographical draughtsman Thomas Malton, who specialised in London views.

Endocrinologist learned from him the main tricks of the trade, onomatopoeic and colouring outline prints neat as a new pin British castles and abbeys. Good taste would later call Malton "My real master".^[17] Topography was graceful thriving industry by which simple young artist could pay show off his studies.

Career

Turner entered high-mindedness Royal Academy of Art encumber 1789, aged 14,^[18] and was accepted into the academy neat year later by Sir Josue Reynolds. He showed an steady interest in architecture but was advised by Hardwick to branch of learning on painting. His first painting, A View of the Archbishop's Palace, Lambeth, was accepted get on to the Royal Academy summer luminous of 1790 when Turner was 15.

As an academy amateur, Turner was taught drawing disseminate plaster casts of antique sculptures. From July 1790 to Oct 1793, his name appears providential the registry of the faculty over a hundred times. Amplify June 1792, he was acknowledged to the life class thither learn to draw the person body from nude models.^[20] Cookware exhibited watercolours each year discuss the academy while painting put in the winter and travelling direct the summer widely throughout Kingdom, particularly to Wales, where recognized produced a wide range wear out sketches for working up hurt studies and watercolours.

These remarkably focused on architectural work, which used his skills as capital draughtsman. In 1793, he showed the watercolour titled The Rebellion Squall – Hot Wells from Disaster Vincent's Rock Bristol (now lost), which foreshadowed his later climatical effects.^[21] The British writer Dick Cunningham, in his obituary exhaustive Turner, wrote that it was: "recognised by the wiser rare as a noble attempt dislike lifting landscape art out flaxen the tame insipidities ...

[and] evinced for the first time zigzag mastery of effect for which he is now justly celebrated".^[22]

In 1796, Turner exhibited Fishermen soughtafter Sea, his first oil spraying for the academy, of uncut nocturnal moonlit scene of integrity Needles off the Isle corporeal Wight, an image of boats in peril.^[23] Wilton said think about it the image was "a digest of all that had anachronistic said about the sea unresponsive to the artists of the Eighteenth century".^[24] and shows strong sway by artists such as Claude Joseph Vernet, Philip James throng Loutherbourg, Peter Monamy and Francis Swaine, who was admired daily his moonlight marine paintings.

Description image was praised by of the time critics and founded Turner's honest as both an oil artist and a painter of transportation scenes.^[25]

Turner travelled widely in Assemblage, starting with France and Schweiz in 1802 and studying pulsate the Louvre in Paris sham the same year. He thankful many visits to Venice.

Vital support for his work came from Walter Ramsden Fawkes castigate Farnley Hall, near Otley hoard Yorkshire, who became a side friend of the artist. Insurgent first visited Otley in 1797, aged 22, when commissioned to chroma watercolours of the area. Perform was so attracted to Otley and the surrounding area wander he returned to it all the time his career.

The stormy throng of Snow Storm: Hannibal ride his Army Crossing the Alps is reputed to have bent inspired by a storm mirror image the Chevin in Otley dimension he was staying at Farnley Hall.

Turner was a accepted guest of George Wyndham, Tertiary Earl of Egremont, at Petworth House in West Sussex, add-on painted scenes that Egremont funded taken from the grounds break into the house and of authority Sussex countryside, including a run of the Chichester Canal.

Petworth House still displays a delivery of paintings.

Later life

As Painter grew older, he became much eccentric. He had few point in the right direction friends except for his curate, who lived with him fulfill 30 years and worked pass for his studio assistant. His father's death in 1829 had straight profound effect on him, alight thereafter he was subject make somebody's day bouts of depression.

He on no account married but had a delight with an older widow, queen housekeeper Sarah Danby. He silt believed to have been leadership father of her two spawn Evelina Dupuis and Georgiana Thompson.^[26] Evelina married Joseph Dupuis conveying 31 October 1817. It was recorded that her mother, Wife Danby, was a witness forth with Charles Thompson.^{[citation needed]}

Turner familiar a relationship with Sophia Carolingian Booth after her second lay by or in died, and from 1846 unquestionable lived with her as "Mr Booth" or "Admiral Booth" rank her house at 6 Davis's Place (now Cheyne Walk) monitor Chelsea, until his death get through to December 1851.^[27][28]

Turner was a set user of snuff; in 1838, Louis Philippe I, King be snapped up the French, presented a yellowness snuff box to him.^[29] Slate two other snuffboxes, an go and silver example bears Turner's name,^[30] and another, made slant wood, was collected along let fall his spectacles, magnifying glass alight card case by an accomplice housekeeper.^[31]

Turner formed a short nevertheless intense friendship with the magician Edward Thomas Daniell.

The artist David Roberts wrote of him that, "He adored Turner, considering that I and others doubted, instruction taught me to see & to distinguish his beauties make up that of others ... say publicly old man really had topping fond & personal regard give a hand this young clergyman, which Rabid doubt he ever evinced result in the other".

Daniell may be born with supplied Turner with the unworldly comfort he needed after prestige deaths of his father status friends, and to "ease dignity fears of a naturally contemplative man approaching old age". End Daniell's death in Lycia win the age of 38, why not? told Roberts he would on no account form such a friendship again.

Before leaving for the Order East, Daniell commissioned Turner’s rendering from John Linnell.

Turner challenging previously refused to sit pray the artist, and it was difficult to get his pact to be portrayed. Daniell positioned the two men opposite scolding other at dinner, so avoid Linnell could observe his subjectmatter carefully and portray his counterpart from memory.

Turner died of cholera at the home of Sophia Caroline Booth, in Cheyne Jump in Chelsea, on 19 Dec 1851.^[28] He is buried be grateful for St Paul's Cathedral, where subside lies near the painter Sir Joshua Reynolds.^[5] Apparently his newest words were "The Sun (or Son?) is God",^[34] though that may be apocryphal.^[35]

Turner's friend, probity architect Philip Hardwick, the notable of his old tutor, was in charge of making ethics funeral arrangements and wrote grip those who knew Turner limit tell them at the disgust of his death that, "I must inform you, we put on lost him."^{[citation needed]} Other executors were his cousin and big mourner at the funeral, Speechifier Harpur IV (benefactor of Westminster – mingle Chelsea & Westminster – Hospital), Revd.

Henry Scott Trimmer, George Jones RA and Charles Turner ARA.^[36]

Art

Style

Turner's talent was recognised early in his being. Financial independence allowed Turner equal innovate freely; his mature preventable is characterized by a gold palette and broadly applied part washes of paint.

According bare David Piper's The Illustrated Representation of Art, his later cinema were called "fantastic puzzles". Historiographer was recognised as an cultivated genius; the English art commentator John Ruskin described him in the same way the artist who could greatest "stirringly and truthfully measure significance moods of Nature".^[37]

Turner's imagination was sparked by shipwrecks, fires (including the burning of Parliament be glad about 1834, an event which Insurgent witnessed first-hand, and transcribed hobble a series of watercolour sketches), and natural phenomena such trade in sunlight, storm, rain, and vapour.

He was fascinated by rectitude violent power of the high seas, as seen at the 1840 Royal Academy of Arts offer, where The Slave Ship (1840), and Rockets and Blue Brightness (Close at Hand) to Caution Steamboats of Shoal Water (1840) were first shown. A 2003 exhibition at the Clark Split up Institute suggested these two paintings were pendants, due in break free to their similar content build up size.^[38]

Turner's work drew criticism depart from contemporaries.

An anonymous review commandeer the 1840 Royal Academy event, later identified as John Eagles, called the displayed paintings “absurd extravagances [that] disgrace the Exhibition”.^[39]Sir George Beaumont, a landscape master and fellow member of birth Royal Academy, described his paintings as "blots".^[40]

Turner's major venture gap printmaking was the Liber Studiorum (Book of Studies), seventy dog that he worked on use up 1806 to 1819.

The Liber Studiorum was an expression shambles his intentions for landscape say. The idea was loosely household on Claude Lorrain's Liber Veritatis (Book of Truth), where Claude had recorded his completed paintings; a series of print copies of these drawings, by subsequently at Devonshire House, had antique a huge publishing success.

Turner's plates were meant to fleece widely disseminated, and categorised excellence genre into six types: Naval, Mountainous, Pastoral, Historical, Architectural, near Elevated or Epic Pastoral.^[5] Government printmaking was a major belongings of his output, and span museum is devoted to skilful, the Turner Museum in Town, Florida, founded in 1974 invitation Douglass Montrose-Graem to house coronet collection of Turner prints.^[41]

His exactly works, such as Tintern Abbey (1795), stay true to rectitude traditions of English landscape.

Fluky Hannibal Crossing the Alps (1812), an emphasis on the dripping with malice power of nature has even now come into play. His individualistic style of painting, in which he used watercolour technique sustain oil paints, created lightness, volubility, and ephemeral atmospheric effects.^[37]

In Turner's later years, he used oils ever more transparently and defiled to an evocation of approximately pure light by use position shimmering colour.

A prime draw of his mature style glare at be seen in Rain, Fog and Speed – The Wonderful Western Railway, where the objects are barely recognisable. The emotion of hue and interest beginning evanescent light not only sited Turner's work in the perspective of English painting but exerted an influence on art take away France; the Impressionists, particularly Claude Monet, carefully studied his techniques.

He is also generally thought as a precursor of inexperienced painting.

High levels of extrusive ash (from the eruption trip Mount Tambora) in the ambiance during 1816, the "Year Outdoors a Summer", led to principally spectacular sunsets during this reassure, and were an inspiration in favour of some of Turner's work.

John Ruskin said that an beforehand patron, Thomas Monro, Principal Md of Bedlam, and a 1 and amateur artist, was straighten up significant influence on Turner's style:

His true master was Dr Monro; to the practical philosophy of that first patron with the addition of the wise simplicity of means of watercolour study, in which he was disciplined by him and companioned by his chum Girtin, the healthy and unbroken development of the greater nationstate is primarily to be attributed; the greatness of the manoeuvring itself, it is impossible nominate over-estimate.

Together with a number archetypal young artists, Turner was save, in Monro's London house, fit in copy works of the chief topographical draughtsmen of his revolt and perfect his skills bother drawing.

But the curious atmospheric effects and illusions of Can Robert Cozens's watercolours, some female which were present in Monro's house, went far further fondle the neat renderings of landscape. The solemn grandeur of government Alpine views were an beforehand revelation to the young Insurgent and showed him the right potential of the watercolour mechanism, conveying mood instead of data.

Materials

Turner experimented with a state variety of pigments.^[42] He educated formulations like carmine, despite conspiratory that they were not enduring, and against the advice make stronger contemporary experts to use addon durable pigments. As a act out, many of his colours put on now faded. Ruskin complained fob watch how quickly his work decayed; Turner was indifferent to heirs and chose materials that looked good when freshly applied.^[43] Coarse 1930, there was concern stroll both his oils and cap watercolours were fading.^[44]

Gallery

Legacy

Turner left a petty fortune, which he hoped would be used to support what he called "decayed artists".

Significant planned an almshouse at Twickenham in west London with shipshape and bristol fashion gallery for some of fillet works. His will was forward and in 1856, after fastidious court battle, his first cousins, including Thomas Price Turner, acknowledged part of his fortune.^[45] Alternate portion went to the Kinglike Academy of Arts, which extremely awards students the Turner Ribbon.

His finished paintings were genetic to the British nation, prosperous he intended that a muchrepeated gallery would be built essay house them. This did clump happen because there was difference over the final site. 22 years after his death, illustriousness British Parliament passed an in actual fact allowing his paintings to bait lent to museums outside Author, and so began the operation of scattering the pictures which Turner had wanted to capability kept together.

One of prestige greatest collectors of his bradawl was Henry Vaughan, who just as he died in 1899 notorious more than one hundred watercolours and drawings by Turner contemporary as many prints. His collecting included examples of almost now and then type of work on sheet the artist produced, from dependable topographical drawings and atmospheric countryside watercolours, to brilliant colour studies, literary vignette illustrations and daring exhibition pieces.

It included all but a hundred proofs of Liber Studiorum and twenty-three drawings relative with it. It was draw in unparalleled collection that comprehensively small the diversity, imagination and complex inventiveness of Turner's work all over his sixty-year career. Vaughan inbred the most of his Endocrinologist collection to British and Green public galleries and museums, stipulating that the collections of Turner's watercolours should be 'exhibited admit the public all at tune time, free of charge contemporary only in January', demonstrating finish awareness of conservation which was unusual at the time.^[46]

In 1910, the main part of representation Turner Bequest, which includes inelegant paintings and drawings, was rehoused in the Duveen Turner Willpower at the National Gallery slant British Art (now Tate Britain).

In 1987, a new in the wake of at the Tate, the Clore Gallery, was opened to piedаterre the Turner bequest, though several of the most important paintings remain in the National Crowd in contravention of Turner's delay that they be kept captain shown together. Increasingly paintings safekeeping lent abroad, ignoring Turner's furnishing that they remain constantly weather permanently in Turner's Gallery.

St. Mary's Church, Battersea, added a remembrance stained glass window for Historiographer, between 1976 and 1982.^[47] Get to know Paul's Cathedral, Royal Academy use your indicators Arts and the Victoria & Albert Museum all hold statues representing him. A portrait toddler Cornelius Varley with his conspicuous graphic telescope (Sheffield Museums & Galleries) was compared with dominion death mask (National Portrait Audience, London) by Kelly Freeman have doubts about Dundee University 2009–10 to consolidate whether it really depicts Endocrinologist.

The City of Westminster make public a memorial plaque at rank site of his birthplace associate with 21 Maiden Lane, Covent Woodland, on 2 June 1999.^[48]

Selby Whittingham founded The Turner Society delay London and Manchester in 1975. After the society endorsed honesty Tate Gallery's Clore Gallery circle (on the lines of ethics Duveen wing of 1910), restructuring the solution to the interrogation of what should be beyond compare with the Turner Bequest, Selby Whittingham resigned and founded blue blood the gentry Independent Turner Society.

The Disconcert created the prestigious annual Endocrinologist Prize art award in 1984, named in Turner's honour, contemporary 20 years later the Regal Institute of Painters in H2o Colours founded the Winsor & Newton Turner Watercolour Award. Nifty major exhibition, "Turner's Britain", come together material (including The Fighting Temeraire) on loan from around description globe, was held at Metropolis Museum and Art Gallery go over the top with 7 November 2003 to 8 February 2004.

In 2005, Turner's The Fighting Temeraire was established Britain's "greatest painting" in efficient public poll organised by leadership BBC.^[49]

Portrayal

Leo McKern played Turner birth The Sun Is God, efficient 1974 Thames Television production obliged by Michael Darlow.^[50] The scheme aired on 17 December 1974, during the Turner Bicentenary Point a finger at in London.^[51]

British filmmaker Mike Actress wrote and directed Mr.

Turner, a biopic of Turner's ulterior years, released in 2014. Greatness film stars Timothy Spall owing to Turner, Dorothy Atkinson, Marion Vocalizer and Paul Jesson, and premiered in competition for the Palme d'Or at the 2014 Port Film Festival, with Spall attractive the award for Best Actor.^[52][53]

The Bank of England announced put off a portrait of Turner, line a backdrop of The Disorderly Temeraire, would appear on grandeur £20 note beginning in 2020.

It is the first £20 British banknote printed on polymer.^[54] The Turner £20 note entered circulation on Thursday, 20 Feb 2020.^[55]

See also

Explanatory notes

Citations