february 20th%2c turner

8/2/2019 February 20th%2c Turner

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Joseph Mallord William Turner

Born 1775, died 1851o 1851year of the grand exhibitionCrystal Palace (huge building, 1851 feet

long, designed by a landscape artist named Paxton)

One of the most famous and most mysterious British artists well run into Unique technique, enormous range of landscapes, seascapes, history, etc. Most of his works are in the Tate Museum in London Kept his private life secretwent by a pseudonym, lived with a woman who was not his

wifelot of mystery surrounding him

Amazingly precociouso By his early 20s he was producing copies of Claude, Tournier

Some said that they were better than the originals Making him an extremely popular artist

o 1802: full member of the Academy by the time Constable had his first paintingshowed there

o 1800: producing actual sketches from natureo Reckless technician, a sort of show-offo Loved to astonish people by re-painting his paintings right before they were

showed in the academy

Most of his paintings have darkened because he was hurrying and theproper technique was not used

Interior of Westminister Abbey, 1796o Watercoloro Shown in the Royal Academyo Looking westward toward the crossing and the north transepto Signs it as if his signature is an inscription in the stone of the floor William

Turner, born 1775)

Fishermen at Sea, 1796o First work he exhibited in oilso Also shown in the Royal Academyo Look at the fire on the boato Moonlight on the seao Again, he is only 21o Stakes his claim as a serious painter, and as a marine painter, all at onceo Seen as the rising star of the Academyo This work represents an early example of the kind of sublimeTurner is heading

towards the true classic sublime which sets him apart from the rest of the artists

Sublime In the 18th century, it meant something very different than it does

today


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The sublime meant: sublime produces a sort of internal elevationand expansion, it raises the mind much above the ordinary state,

and fills it with a degree of wonder and astonishment which is

certainly delightful but it is altogether of a serious kind, a degree of

awe-fulness and solemnity even approaching to severity,

commonly attends it when its at it heightvery distinguishable

from the gay and brisk emotion praised by the beautiful Hugh

Blair

Sublime in the 18th century had a religious feeling contained in it(today we dont associate it with religion)

These overt religious overtones may be one of the things thatdifferentiates that understanding of sublimity than that of modern

times

Considered to be a positive description Seen as something Michelangelo could dosomething they

thought about Michelangelo that was sublime (frightening,

powerful, beautiful, etc.)

Poetry was more suitable towards the production of the sublimethan paintingsublimity was more easily produced through words

Avoids superfluous detail, details with big gestures, colorsubordinate to grand design

Sir Joshua Reynolds continued to refer to Mike as a master of thesublime

Ut pictura poasesas it is in poetry, so it is in paintingHoracetrying to do for painting the same thing that poetry did (example of

poetry: Milton)

Principle demand for landscape is a problem though, so Mikespaintings dont really count

GainsboroughsRobert Andrews and his Wife, 1748-50

Picturesqueo Think of the Apollo Belvedere

This is what you would tend to get in England (Stowe)Key person to help the development of picturesque: William Giltman

Made his landscape to reflect Claude and PoussinPicturesque Sublime

Salvator Rosas Polycrates Receiving the Fish and Ring, 1640 Salvator RosasLandscape with Armed Men, 1650 Difference between picturesque-ness of Poussin and picturesesque-sublime of Rosa Think the Laocoon


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Back to Turner

Begins as a picturesque-sublime painter Morning Amongst the Coniston Fells, Cumbeland, 1798

o Gloomy ravine you have in the foreground with the mountains in the backgroundo Pale light of the dawno Mist slowly hides details as you go off into the distanceo Turners intention (he quotes Milton, and that quote goes with his work)

Literary reference is important because it lifts his work to another realmo The element of human danger has not really been introducednot true sublime

here

Devils Bridge, St. Gothard, 1803-04o Still picturesque sublimeo A sort of aesthetic contemplation here where we become involved as a viewer but

we dont really get lost into it

o What will happen later with the sublime is that we will have to finish the painterourselves as a viewer and then the painting becomes a part of us

o But still, there is still a you are there quality to the paitning, making it picturesquesublime

Fifth Plague of Egypt, 1800o First real historical pictureeven though its really the 7th plagueo You can still look upon this as a literary episode

Dutch Boats in a Gale, 1801o Were really excited about it, thinking about what it would be like, but were not

frightened by it

o Too much detail, making us think about it like a literary work Fishermen on a Lee Shore in Squally Weather, 1803 Fishing Boats Entering Calais Harbor, 1803

o English boat arrivingo French boat entering as wello Looked at van Ruisdale and outdoing himo Picturesque

Shipwreck, 1805o 1802Turner moved to France

Visited the Alps Probably was exposed to many 17th century artists

o Turner comes back to England to paint thiso One of the paintings that you could get a copper copy of

Turner is realizing that he can make a lot of money Copies were not colored, were in black and white, and you can see the

date in the corner


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Way of publicizing his workletting people know what hes doing at thisparticular time

o Takes an important step past theDutch Boats in a Gale The viewer is more engaged than in the Dutch Boats in a Gale But Turner is not consistenthe doesnt paint everything in the intensity

of the Shipwreck

o Picturesque sublime Sun Rising through Vapor(Fishermen Cleaning Fish), 1807

o Clearly looking towards Claude Lorrains Seaport with Embarkation of QueenSheba

o Turner gave this painting to the National Gallery but demanded that it be placednext to Claude Lorrains

Snowstorm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps, 1812o True sublime paintingo Napoleons doomed invasion of Russian happened in 1812o Atmospheric effects from this picture were derived from his experience (there

was a storm that he talks about that occurred a year or two this was painted)

o Hannibal crosses the Alps in a blinding tumult of a stormo Dont really see the elephants, dont really see the enemyo Alps become a blur of battered fragments of etc.o Indistinctness is the essence of sublime

Sublime because we have to finish it Instead of representing ideas, Turner, here, excites them (Turner causes

you to come up with your own ideashe isnt telling you what to think,

he is causing you to make your own conclusions)

Sublimeyou have to worry about injury from this painting (not true ofpicturesque sublime)

Picturesquetaming nature (nature is not dangerous because youconfine the world into a frame)

Dido Building Carthage, 1815o Building on Claude Lorrains Embarkationo Just because Turner can do sublime doesnt mean he always does ito Sun rising

Decline of Carthage, 1817

o Sun setting Vesuvius in Eruption, 1817

o Obviously wasnt seen by Turner in person, but he painted it as though he dido Awe-filled

Eruption of the Soufriere, St. Vincent, 1812o Trying to arouse the sense of awe (whether or not it was successful is debatable)


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Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus, 1829o See the cloud of Polyphemus (knees and shaking his fist)o Mythological subjects celebrating good and evil

The Burning of the House of Lords and Commons, 16th October, 1834, 1835o We would call it the house of Parliamento the passing of an old order replaced by a new order Reform bill had been

passed 2 years earlier

o Color in the detail is closer to the original coloro Slide 39

Painting that was submitted to the Royal Academy for exhibition Famous instance of him painting the painting the night before the

exhibition (Varnishing Day)

Done with a palette knifedifficult to keep oil paint clear and not muddy 4 elements: earth, fire, water, air Disembodied energy

Snowstorm, Avalanche, Innundation, 1837o 1837Constable diedo The true sublimeblending of coloro True space of the work: the area between the spectator and the objcto We need to finish this painting ourselves

The Fighting Temeraire(Towed to her Last Berth), 1838o Lord Nelson was shot on the boat and wanted a real funeral on lando The steam is taking overo The old world is being taken overo The steamer will take over and the Temeraire will be dismantledo Sun is setting

The Slave Ship, 1840o The boat is throwing off the dead and dying as a typhoon comestoo much

weight on the boat and need to lighten it

o Look at the numerous bodieso Human sacrifice is a key part in this paintingo Look at the seathere are some sharks in the watero Could be a good example of his mature sublime painting

Snowstorm, Steamboat of a Harbours Mouth, 1842o Precise record of a particular circumstanceo People saw nothing that was recognizable and attacked it for its lack of that

Rain, Steam, and Speed: The Great Western Railroard, 1845o Lot of questions asked as opposed to answers giveno Sublimeo Train roaring across bridge


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o Boat in the Thameso Turner watched a train go by in a blinding rainstorm for 10 minutes

Turner died in 1851

february 20th%2c turner

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