Tate Britain, Millbank, Westminster, London SW1P 4RG
WEDNESDAY, 28TH OCTOBER 2020 - SUNDAY, 7TH MARCH 2021
One of Britain’s greatest artists, J.M.W. Turner lived and worked at the peak of the industrial revolution. Steam replaced sail; machine-power replaced manpower; political and social reforms transformed society.
Many artists ignored these advances but Turner faced up to these new challenges. This exhibition shows how he transformed the way he painted to better capture this new world.
Beginning in the 1790s, when Turner first observed the effects of modern life, the exhibition follows his fascination for new industry and technology through to his famous paintings of steam boats and railway engines of the 1840s. It also looks at his engagement with the Napoleonic War and the other major political events of his lifetime, including the 1832 Reform Act and the campaign against slavery.
This landmark exhibition brings together major works by Turner from around the world, including The Fighting Temeraire 1839 and Rain, Steam and Speed 1844. It explores what it meant to be a modern artist in his lifetime and presents an exciting new perspective on his work and life.