JMW Turner – The Painter of his Time

Turner is known as Britain’s greatest painter, one who changed the face of British art.   He had a wide range of subjects, and his palette and various painting techniques were quite unique.  His general breadth of knowledge included poetry, science and technology.  Fascinated by progress, hungry for knowledge, Turner was a man who drank in his own time with an unquenchable thirst.  He had a tremendous wit and sense of humor, yet was also seen as reclusive, squalid, seedy and eccentric. 

Turner was a Romantic painter – he saw the sublime in nature’s grandeur, emphasizing man’s insignificance and humility in the face of the forces of nature.  In the 1830s and 40s, his work became less distinct, and it baffled the critics.   He was the gruff, unfriendly genius who some believed had lost his mind in his later years.  When he died in 1851, he was one of the wealthiest of all British artists. 

Come learn about the unusual life and significant works of this very extraordinary artist with Beth Stein.  This presentation will prepare you well to experience the Turner’s Modern World exhibition at MFA in Boston through July 10, 2022.