To accompany a landmark exhibition of the art of J.M.W. Turner, this book presents Turner as a pioneer painter of contemporary life, finding new ways to picture the momentous events and dizzying changes of modernization.
Focusing on the emotional depth of Romanticism, the book explores how European artists, poets, and composers from 1775 to 1830 challenged the prevailing political, religious, and social norms during tumultuous times like the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. Their pursuit of personal expression and individual freedom redefined art as a powerful tool for social and psychological transformation, marking a significant shift in artistic philosophy and practice.
Drawing from the Tate Gallery's extensive collection of oil sketches, this book investigates Turner's approach to outdoor painting, and his open-air sketches. It does so in the context of works by Constable and other contemporaries of Turner.