As I mentioned earlier in the week, last weekend we visited @tate Britain's Constable and Turner exhibition. I already shared the highlights I found in Constable's work...today I'll talk about Turner's.
Turner was born 250 years ago and hence this year you might have come across his work somewhere in the UK. Tate Britain's own collection is pretty fantastic and I was very happy to see two of my favourite paintings in this exhibition too. (Pic 1) Norham Castle, Sunrise is one of them.
Norham is one of those subjects Turner kept revisiting over time, but this version from circa 1845 is truly special because rather than a subject, it seems to reflect a memory of a place he felt connected to. Stripping the details away to highlight the experience of the morning with the excitement of a new day.
Once again, it feels contemporary, timeless, atmospheric... I found myself zooming in to unlock the secrets of his veil-like technique.
Another of my favourites is Snow Storm: Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth (last pic) and it was also in the exhibition. What can I say? I like paintings of angry seas, must be my heritage.
The painting shows a paddle steamer battling its way through a violent snowstorm, but looking at it you are drawn into the epic storm. As a child put it to her gran, yes, I see the boat but look at the scary waves
The painting was not well received and most critics dismissed it as “soapsuds and whitewash”. I say most because John Ruskin had a different opinion, one I happen to share. He defended it as one of the greatest statements of sea-motion ever painted.
Ok, so this is my account...now, if you have a chance, experience yours. It is worth it.
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