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Masterpieces of Art
J.M.W. Turner Masterpieces of Art
Short introduction with over 100 paintings highlighting the revolutionary approach by Turner whose powerful sweeping strokes turned away from portraiture and prepared the way for Impressionism.
The English Romantic painter Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 1775–19 December 1851) was a brilliant landscape artist, a watercolourist and printmaker. His style, powerful and fierce, melding the elements with humankind are thought by many to have prepared the way for Impressionism . In his time he was controversial, but his focus on land and seascapes widened the palette of artists and their audience, and his impressionistic brushwork prepared the way for the fragmentation of the modern era. This wonderful new book brings to life his greatest achievements, with such paintings as The Fighting 'Temeraire’ , Inside Tintern Abbey and Rain, Steam and Speed (The Great Western Railway) .
The English Romantic painter Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 1775–19 December 1851) was a brilliant landscape artist, a watercolourist and printmaker. His style, powerful and fierce, melding the elements with humankind are thought by many to have prepared the way for Impressionism . In his time he was controversial, but his focus on land and seascapes widened the palette of artists and their audience, and his impressionistic brushwork prepared the way for the fragmentation of the modern era. This wonderful new book brings to life his greatest achievements, with such paintings as The Fighting 'Temeraire’ , Inside Tintern Abbey and Rain, Steam and Speed (The Great Western Railway) .
- GenresArtNonfiction
128 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 30, 2019
The editors provide a brief biography the first twenty or so pages and then devote the rest of the book to analyzing the development of Turner's art.
Turner was a fascinating mix of realism and impressionism. He was a major influence on the impressionists who came later in the century. Cezanne asserted that Turner was the inspiration for all of them.
This book has a through collection of glossy color reprints of Turner's work. It is divided into different sections focusing on different subject matter that Turner was fascinated by.
While not as big as a coffee table book, it is still a nice size and the photos fill a full page.
Turner was a fascinating mix of realism and impressionism. He was a major influence on the impressionists who came later in the century. Cezanne asserted that Turner was the inspiration for all of them.
This book has a through collection of glossy color reprints of Turner's work. It is divided into different sections focusing on different subject matter that Turner was fascinated by.
While not as big as a coffee table book, it is still a nice size and the photos fill a full page.
February 15, 2024
I’m a real fan of this series and this is another quality addition to the impressive collection. This contribution comes from Ormiston who has proven to be a reliable and informative source on her subject, giving us enough background information whilst still giving the lion’s share of the space over to the work itself, which is really what it’s all about.
It’s no surprise that Turner was known as the master of light, some of the skies in here are simply incredible. We don’t just get sunrise and sunset, we get fierce skies, roaring with energy and bubbling up with molten light, bursting out of the canvas with a furious vitality.
When viewing so much of his works like this, it’s hard to ignore just how much of it anticipates the Impressionists, particularly during his 1830s period, especially the likes of “Fort Vimieux” (1831), “Sun Setting Over A Lake” (c.1840) and “The Scarlet Sunset” (c. 1830-40). Also it doesn’t take long to see the ways in which his “Alnwick Castle” (c.1829) influenced Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”.
It’s also interesting that Margate in Kent was one of his favourite spots and yet on the other side of the English Channel, only a few decades later Monet would go onto capture those same waters under the same light giving birth to the Impressionist movement.
It’s no surprise that Turner was known as the master of light, some of the skies in here are simply incredible. We don’t just get sunrise and sunset, we get fierce skies, roaring with energy and bubbling up with molten light, bursting out of the canvas with a furious vitality.
When viewing so much of his works like this, it’s hard to ignore just how much of it anticipates the Impressionists, particularly during his 1830s period, especially the likes of “Fort Vimieux” (1831), “Sun Setting Over A Lake” (c.1840) and “The Scarlet Sunset” (c. 1830-40). Also it doesn’t take long to see the ways in which his “Alnwick Castle” (c.1829) influenced Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”.
It’s also interesting that Margate in Kent was one of his favourite spots and yet on the other side of the English Channel, only a few decades later Monet would go onto capture those same waters under the same light giving birth to the Impressionist movement.
October 26, 2021
A concise biography of J.M.W. Turner and selection of 86 of his works, shown full-page in all their glory. Turner was such a transitional artist, painting (and elevating) classical landscapes but then along the way fusing color and light in ways that were well ahead of their time, predating the Impressionists and more abstract artists who would follow several decades later.
The top 10 for me, in chronological order, are as follows. It’s interesting, in looking some of these up online, in images from Wikipedia, Tate, et al the colors are sometimes less vibrant. Turner apparently used pigments that he knew were not durable, with the result being many of his colors fading. The book appears to have attempted to restore some of this.
Anywho, some faves:
Weymouth – 1811
Snow Storm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps – 1812
Norham Castle, on the River Tweed – 1822-23
Staffa, Finagal’s Cave - 1832
Disaster at Sea – 1835(?)
The Fighting Temeraine – 1839
The Slave Ship: Slavers Throwing Overboard the Dead and Dyig – Typhoon Coming On – 1840
Venice: Looking Across The Lagoon at Sunset - 1840
Snow Storm – Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth – 1842
Rain, Steam, and Speed (The Great Western Railway) – 1844
The Angel Standing in the Sun – 1846
Whoopsie, that’s 11. Ah, well.
The top 10 for me, in chronological order, are as follows. It’s interesting, in looking some of these up online, in images from Wikipedia, Tate, et al the colors are sometimes less vibrant. Turner apparently used pigments that he knew were not durable, with the result being many of his colors fading. The book appears to have attempted to restore some of this.
Anywho, some faves:
Weymouth – 1811
Snow Storm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps – 1812
Norham Castle, on the River Tweed – 1822-23
Staffa, Finagal’s Cave - 1832
Disaster at Sea – 1835(?)
The Fighting Temeraine – 1839
The Slave Ship: Slavers Throwing Overboard the Dead and Dyig – Typhoon Coming On – 1840
Venice: Looking Across The Lagoon at Sunset - 1840
Snow Storm – Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth – 1842
Rain, Steam, and Speed (The Great Western Railway) – 1844
The Angel Standing in the Sun – 1846
Whoopsie, that’s 11. Ah, well.
January 8, 2026
A brief biography of JMW Turner. If you don’t know him, I’ll rate this book a 4 star. It’s a nice way to get to know him and his era and painting but doesn’t really talks much about his life. However I like his paintings a lot so it’s nice for me to look at all different paintings he had.
May 25, 2020
Some of the pictures are quite poor/hazy versions, as some of these are only in the Tate I'd have hoped that better copies would have been available.
May 11, 2015
When I was working on my M.A. I took an English literature class on the Romantics. As part of the course, the professor felt that we should get an idea of more than just the writings of the time and had us look at art as well. One painter was J.M.W. Turner who had a painting in the Art Institute of Chicago. It was Fishing Boats with Hucksters Bargaining for Fish
What I saw stayed with me. I didn't always remember the artist's name ("it's the name with all the intitials.....") but the play of light on the darker sea and the swell of the waves were something I'd never seen in art before. Especially the use of light.
With the advent of the movie Mr. Turner, I finally could hold onto the entire name. When I saw a preview of the movie, lit exactly like a Turner painting, I had to go. I really don't know why it didn't win the Emmy for cinematography (well, considering politics I do). The entire movie was lit as if it were a Turner painting, interiors and exteriors. I was more astonished by the beauty of it than the actual story.
This book is a good introduction to Turner's work. It includes a short biographical piece at the beginning and then reproductions of 90 of Turner's works. Although their reduced size can't give the "brightness" of an orginal, they are beautiful in their own right. I had the breath knocked out of me at Inside Tintern Abbey - more realistic than most of his works - I could see the softness that became Monet in Venice: San Giorgio Maggiore - Early Morning, and see the beginnings of "modern" art in works like Sun Setting Over a Lake.
But always, always that GORGEOUS light!
If you saw Mr. Turner (or intended to) or are simply interested in art but haven't investigated Turner yet, this book is a great introduction to the Master of Light.
What I saw stayed with me. I didn't always remember the artist's name ("it's the name with all the intitials.....") but the play of light on the darker sea and the swell of the waves were something I'd never seen in art before. Especially the use of light.
With the advent of the movie Mr. Turner, I finally could hold onto the entire name. When I saw a preview of the movie, lit exactly like a Turner painting, I had to go. I really don't know why it didn't win the Emmy for cinematography (well, considering politics I do). The entire movie was lit as if it were a Turner painting, interiors and exteriors. I was more astonished by the beauty of it than the actual story.
This book is a good introduction to Turner's work. It includes a short biographical piece at the beginning and then reproductions of 90 of Turner's works. Although their reduced size can't give the "brightness" of an orginal, they are beautiful in their own right. I had the breath knocked out of me at Inside Tintern Abbey - more realistic than most of his works - I could see the softness that became Monet in Venice: San Giorgio Maggiore - Early Morning, and see the beginnings of "modern" art in works like Sun Setting Over a Lake.
But always, always that GORGEOUS light!
If you saw Mr. Turner (or intended to) or are simply interested in art but haven't investigated Turner yet, this book is a great introduction to the Master of Light.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews