Children's Web Magazine

Turner

 

Joseph Mallord William Turner was born in London in 1775. His father was a wig maker and a barber. Sadly the death of his young sister in 1786 may have also brought about the death of his mother in 1804.
At the age of ten he was sent to stay with his uncle (his mother's brother) in Brentford. The area lies on the river Thames. He became an artist at the young age of fourteen, studying at the Royal Academy of Art. The famous artist Sir Joshua Reynolds was President at that time and he was one of the people that decided to accept him. Before becoming an artist he was an architect's assistant.
After just a year's study at the academy he had a watercolour exhibited in the summer exhibition of 1790. Six years later his first oil painting was exhibited. It would be for his oil paintings that he would be known for. But he was also an originator of landscape painting in watercolours. And very much know as "the painter of light."
Turner tied himself to the mast of a steam boat to achieve the brilliant effectiveness of a storm for his oil painting Snow Storm: Steam Boat of a Harbour's Mouth 1842. This is on view at Tate Britain. Tying yourself to a mast is some feat when you are in your late sixties.
One thing I found interesting was Turner enjoyed literature and had a love of words which helped to inspire him with his work. Strangely it can also work the other way for writers the great Irish writer James Joyce drew inspiration from sculpture.
Turner surprisingly never married but he did have two daughters by Sarah Danby.
Turner became one of Britain's greatest artists. His talent was to prove influential to others among them Whistler and Monet. Both of whom were exhibited along side Turner at the Tate recently. Which I thought was an excellent exhibition.
The exhibition contained paintings of Venice one of the places Turner went to. He also went to France and Switzerland as well. He was able to catch breath taking sights. His paintings are original and dramatic.
As Turner got older he developed into an idiosyncratic man. His father died in 1824 he had lived with Turner for thirty years. So his death deeply upset Turner.
Turner died just before Christmas in 1851 in his house in Cheyne Walk Chelsea, which over looked the Thames. He was seventy - six when he died. Turner's legacy was to donate three hundred paintings and nearly twenty thousand watercolours and drawings to the nation. The Fighting Temeraire is a famous painting by Turner. The ship is historic as it was involved in the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. He also did an amazing painting of The Burning of the houses of Lords and Commons 16th October 1834. This was on display in the Tate exhibition. His fortune he wanted to go to help struggling artists in Britain. The Turner prize which began in 1984 is a tribute to him.

© Children's Web Magazine 2005