Joseph Mallord William Turner

Joseph Mallord William Turner, more commonly known as J. M. W. Turner, was a nineteenth century English Romantic painter. He was born on April 23, 1755 in Covent Garden, London, England. J. M.W. Turner was considered the romantic preface to impressionism, an emphasis on depiction of light in its changing qualities. This also resulted in his nickname, "the painter of light" because all his paintings presented interesting perceptions of light. His work was inspired mainly by catastrophes such as shipwrecks, fires, natural calamities, and natural phenomena including sunlight, rain, fog and storms. J. M. W. Turner specialized in Landscape and Maritime Art. Landscape art is the depiction of natural scenery, especially with a wide view. Maritime Art is figurative art that draws inspiration from the sea; J. M. W. Turner was inspired by the violent power of the sea. Although known for his oils, Turner is regarded as one of the founders of English watercolor paintings. Turner's most famous oil painting was The fighting Temeraire Tugged to her last berth to be broken up; it was painted in 1838 and is currently hanging in the London National Gallery. In this picture Turner creates a sense of light by using relatively cool colors and only using warm colors coming from the sunset. Early Morning is one of Turner's most famous watercolor paintings, painted in 1819 and currently placed at the Tate Gallery in London England. Early Morning is a watercolor painting that depicts a small port town at sunrise. Turner emphasizes the light in this picture by making only pop of color come from the sunrise. Although Joseph Mallord William Turner's paintings were considered controversial in his day, today they are recognized as turning points in the Romantic Arts and some of the greatest watercolor and oil paintings. J. M. W. Turner passed away on December 19, 1851 at the age 76 and uttered his last words, "The sun is God."