Described as unique and visionary by critics during his lifetime, Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851) is perhaps our most beloved English Romantic painter. Taking the Wallace Collection’s small number of dynamic watercolours as a starting point, explore the ways in which Turner was stimulated by the modern world and how this manifested in his paintings.

We’ll look at the artists who influenced Turner, and against whom he measured his work, and examine how his relationships with friends and patrons contributed to his artistic development. We’ll also consider how Turner was inspired by contemporary aesthetic ideas, as well as by the dramatic and irrevocable changes brought on by industrialisation and commercialisation during his lifetime.

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Joining Information and Format: This course will be taught through Zoom Webinar. Each course session duration is 120 minutes, including a five-minute break and Q&A session with the tutor. Tickets are for all dates of this course. Ticketholders will be emailed the Zoom link, Webinar ID and Passcode 24 hours in advance of the first course session, which should be retained for accessing both sessions.   

Course Recording: This course will be recorded. Within 48 hours of each course session, ticket holders will be emailed a link to view the recording, which will be available for two weeks.