Joseph Mallord William Turner

The artist who painted the sea

Who is he?

Joseph Mallord William Turner is an English painter from the Romanticism period, known above all for his emotional paintings of the sea.

Why is he an overman?

William Turner showed that one doesn’t need to paint anything else than the sea to express the endless beauty of nature and become one of the most important artistic geniuses in history. His work is proof of his profound understanding of the world that surrounds us, making the sea the origin of all human emotions.

As a person, he was private and somewhat reserved, never leaving completely behind his modest background. However, he was deeply passionate about his art and immensely dedicated to his work.

Curious facts:

Reportedly, William Turner wanted to experience the force if nature firsthand, so that it can be authentic in his paintings. He asked sailors to tie him to a mast during a sea storm and he spent several hours there observing the effects of wind, rain, and waves directly.

Short biography:

23 April 1775 – 19 December 1851

The talent of William Turner showed from an early age. His father proudly displayed his paintings in his barber shop. William Turner was admitted to the Royal Academy of Arts at the age of 14 and by his early twenties his works were already exhibited there.

What makes his paintings so remarkable is the innovative use of light, color, and atmosphere. He mostly portrayed the power of nature by painting storms, fires, shipwrecks, and other natural scenes. His styled developed throughout the years and influenced later movements such as Impressionism. His travels across Europe gave him inspiration for much of his work.

William Turner didn’t marry but had a longtime companion, Sarah Danby, with whom he had two daughters. In his later life he lived together with a widow named Sophia Caroline Booth and even assumed the name Mr Booth. He was known for being eccentric and secretive in his personal life.

William Turner is buried in St Paul’s Cathedral. In his will, he left much of his art and fortune to the British nation.

Important work:

Wreckers, Coast of Northumberland

Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut

Norham Castle, Sunrise

Tate Britain, London

Fishermen at sea

Tate Britain, London

Dutch Boats in a Gale

National Gallery, London

Venice: The Dogana and San Giorgio Maggiore

National Gallery of Arts, Washington