A year-long celebration featuring exhibitions and events has been unveiled to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of artist JMW Turner.
Joseph Mallord William Turner was born on April 23, 1775, in London and is celebrated as one of the foremost Romantic painters, renowned for his stunning landscapes and seascapes.
As part of the Turner 250 festivities, the Turner Contemporary gallery in Margate, Kent, will showcase an oil sketch created by the artist along the town’s seafront. Additionally, a BBC documentary is set to be released, and multiple exhibitions will take place throughout the UK.
Arts minister Sir Chris Bryant remarked that Turner “transformed British art” and was “an innovator who produced some of our most iconic canvases.”
Revered as “the painter of light,” Turner’s works often illustrated the shifts in scenery and atmosphere brought about by human activities, especially during the industrial revolution.
His notable pieces include The Fighting Temeraire, The Slave Ship, The Battle of Trafalgar, and The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, each capturing dynamic landscapes that contributed to a redefinition of landscape painting.
Turner passed away in 1851 at the age of 76.
“The impact of his artistry is still felt today, be it through the Turner Prize, his feature on the £20 note, or the many artists he has inspired,” stated a representative from Tate.
The Turner Contemporary in Margate, strategically located near where the esteemed painter frequently depicted the sea, was inaugurated in his honor in 2011.
Starting in April, the gallery will exhibit his oil sketch Waves Breaking on a Lee Shore at Margate (Study for Rockets and Blue Lights) for a full year, on loan from Tate Britain.
The initiative, which runs throughout 2025, aims to encourage audiences from across the nation and beyond to explore Turner’s extraordinary life, artistic contributions, and lasting influence.
Significant highlights of Turner 250 feature:
Maria Balshaw, director of Tate, commented, “As custodians of the largest collection of his work in the world, we are privileged to play a pivotal role in Turner 250.
“Throughout the year, we will present over 150 works at Tate Britain and loan many more to institutions across the UK and beyond.”
