J. M. W. Turner: Facts and Information

Here are some interesting facts about J. M. W. Turner.

• J. M. W. Turner is one of the most famous British painters. He is known today for his romantic landscapes and seascapes, and is often seen as one of the earliest modern artists.

• He produced over 500 paintings, over 2,000 watercolours and over 30,000 drawings during his career. His famous works include Rain, Steam and Speed, The Fighting Temeraire, and Fishermen At Sea.

• Turner was born in London around 1775 and at the age of 15 had a watercolor painting accepted by the Royal Academy. A few years later, his first oil painting was on display there.
• His full name was Joseph Mallord William Turner.
• Turner had a painting accepted for showing at the Royal Academy every year for the rest of his life.

• At age 18, he was successful enough to have his own London studio.
• He loved to paint storms, rough seas and fires. He rushed to the Houses of Parliament when he heard that it was on fire, to capture the flames in a painting.
• Many of Turner’s paintings have dramatic effects of light and shadow. His use of light influenced the famous Impressionist artists who were painted at the end of the 19th century.
• J. M. W. Turner kept his strong London accent for all his life. At the time, it was fashionable for artists to develop a posher and more upper class accent to help their career.
• Turner often drank a lot, sometimes drinking several pints of rum in a day. He sometimes applied stale beer to his paintings, and even spat on them to make them look more realistic.
• J. M. W. Turner travelled a lot in France, Italy and Switzerland. He found ideas for paintings in Venice, and one of his most famous works is The Grand Canal Venice, painted in 1835.
• Turner died in 1851, in London. As he requested, he was buried in Westminster Abbey, along with many other famous writers, poets, artists and scientists.
• The Turner Prize, awarded annually to a visual artist under the age of 50, is named after J. M. W. Turner. Some past winners include, Damien Hirst, Antony Gormley and Grayson Perry.