Concetti Chiave
- Turner, born in London in 1775, was a renowned English landscape artist who began his career as a teenager, quickly gaining recognition and exhibiting at the Royal Academy by age 15.
- His artistic style evolved from topographic draftsman techniques to Romantic principles, focusing on light and personal expression rather than mere representation.
- In his later years, Turner became eccentric, shunning company and often refusing to sell his paintings, despite continuing to exhibit them.
- Turner was captivated by the power of nature, depicting dramatic scenes like shipwrecks and natural disasters, and famously rushing to sketch the burning of Parliament in 1834.
- His philosophy emphasized the sublime nature of the world, portraying humanity's vulnerability against it, and he believed light was an expression of divine spirit.
Turner's early life and career
Turner is one of the finest english landscape artist. Turner began exhibiting his work while he was still a teenager and he was successful throughout his career.
Turner was born in London in 1775. His father was a barber and his mother died when he was very young. His entire life was devoted to his art, as by the age of 13 he was making drawings at home and exhibiting them in his father’s shop window for sale. He quickly achieved a fine reputation; actually Turner was 15 when he received a rare honour: one of his paintings was exhibited at the Royal Academy. Furthermore in 1802, when he was only 20, he became a full member of the Academy. He soon obtained his own studio and print sellers began to buy his drawings for reproduction.
Artistic achievements and style
Like Constable, he was a keen meteorologist, and wherever he visited, he studied the effects of various kinds of weather on the sea and sky. Although trained as a topographic draftsman (drawer of maps and plans), he later refined his painting technique according to Romantic principles. Instead of merely recording what he saw, Turner translated scenes into light-filled expression of his own feelings and perceptions.
Turner's eccentricity and later years
But, as he grew older, he became an eccentric. He had no close friends, he allowed no one to watch him while painting, he gave up attending the meetings of the Academy. On top of that, he still held exhibition, but he usually refused to sell his paintings.
One day Turner mysteriously disappeared from his house. His housekeeper, after looking for him for many months, found him hiding in a house in Chelsea, where he had been ill for a long time. He died the following day, on 19th December 1851.
Turner's fascination with nature
His collection of paintings was bequeathed to his country.
Suitable vehicles for Turner’s imagination were shipwrecks, fires, such as the burning of Parliament in 1834, an event which Turner rushed to witness first-hand, and which he represented in a series of watercolour sketches. He was also interested in natural catastrophes, such as sunlight, storm, rain and fog. He was fascinated by the natural power of the sea, too.
Turner's philosophy and legacy
Turner placed human beings in many of his paintings, to indicate on the one hand his affection for humanity, and on the other hand its vulnerability and vulgarity against the sublime nature of the world. Sublime means awe-inspiring, a natural world unmastered by man, evidence of the power of God. Turner thought light was the emanation of God’s spirit and this was why he refined his later paintings by leaving out solid objects and details and concentrating on the play of light and water, of skies and fires.
One popular legend about Turner said that he even had himself tied to the mast of a ship in order to experience the drama of the elements during a storm at sea.
Domande da interrogazione
- How did Turner's early life influence his career as an artist?
- How did Turner's approach to painting differ from traditional methods?
Turner began drawing at a young age, exhibiting his work in his father's shop window by age 13. His early start and talent led to his first exhibition at the Royal Academy at 15, setting the stage for a successful career.
Trained as a topographic draftsman, Turner evolved his style to reflect Romantic principles, focusing on light and emotion rather than mere representation, transforming scenes into expressions of his feelings.
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