best known as Joseph Mallord William Turner
John William Mallord Turner (1775-1851) was one of England's most famous artists, who revolutionised the use of watercolors. he first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1791. He studied under Thomas Girtin and was also influenced by Dutch marine painting. By 1797 he had moved from watercolour to oil painting, exhibiting a picture of Millbank at the RA, but his next major work, the Romantic Calais Pier (1803), was strongly criticised as appearing unfinished. From this point in his life he was attacked by such figures as Sir George Beaumont, at that time the leading decider of artistic taste, but was also defended by the portraitist Sir Thomas Lawrence. He travelled frequently to Italy and developed his oil painting style to more closely resemble his light-filled watercolours.
In 1843 he was championed by John Ruskinin the first volume of Modern Painters, and his reputation as one of England's greatest artists has been sustained ever since.
He died in 1851, leaving 300 paintings and nearly 20,000 watercolours to the nation in his will.
Major Works
- Calais Pier (1803)
- Dido Building Carthage (1815)
- The Fighting temeraire (1839)
- Rain, Steam and Speed (1844)