The
Baltimore Museum of Art brings the first major exhibition of
the work of J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851) in more than a decade to
its only American venue. Reflections of Sea and Light: Paintings
and Watercolors by J.M.W. Turner from Tate, on view through May 26, 2002, includes more than 100
watercolors, oil paintings, drawings, and prints-many never
before exhibited-that span virtually the entire career of this
remarkable artist, considered the greatest British Romantic
landscape painter of the l9th century.
Known for his mastery of
capturing light and atmospheric effects on classical landscapes
and misty cities, Turner tirelessly observed nature at work,
attempting to recapture its effects in paint-never more
powerfully than in his many late watercolors of stormy seas,
shorelines washed in sunsets, and breaking waves.
His breathtaking examinations of
the sea show him to be incredibly forward-thinking, and his
later works proved to be a quarter-century ahead of the French
Impressionists' exploration of the subtle effects of light and
atmosphere on landscapes.
"Turner's watercolor studies
will surprise even the most ardent Turner admirer with their
modern aesthetic," said Doreen Bolger, BMA Director.
"Only in Baltimore-the exclusive U.S. venue for the
exhibition-will visitors have the opportunity to enjoy these
stunning works that are usually half a world away."
J.M.W. Turner Joseph Mallord
William Turner was born in 1775 in London, England. He began
drawing and painting at the age of 12 and entered the Royal
Academy schools in 1789. He had his first watercolor accepted
for exhibition at age 15 and was elected an Associate of the
Academy in 1799.
Turner traveled frequently, often
sketching the areas he visited and submitting the finished works
to the Royal Academy. He gained popular recognition by producing
watercolors for a series of engravings for wide
dissemination.
Selections of images that Turner
considered to be the most important were compiled as
engravings in Liber Studioruni. Between 1814 and 1830, Turner
produced many drawings from tours in England and abroad
studying the effects of light and atmosphere on landscape,
including works from the series Picturesque Views on the
Southern Coast of England and The Ports of England.
Works from the 1830s marked a
period of transition leading up to the more abstract conceptions
of Turner's last years. His artistic genius culminated between
1825-1845 with a series of marine paintings that exemplified the
power of the sea and the elements. Turner died in 1851, and he
was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Baltimore Museum of Art is open
Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.; Saturday and
Sunday, II a.m. until 6 p.m.; and during FREESTYLE, the first
Thursday of every month (except major holidays), 5 until 8 p.m.
The Museum is closed Monday, Tuesday, New Year's Day, July 4,
Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
General admission is $7 for
adults; $5 for seniors ages 65+ and college students with ID.;
and free for ages 18 and under and BMA Members. Admission is
free on the first Thursday of every month. Admission to
FREESTYLE and all related FREESTYLE activities is free.
The BMA is located on Art Museum
Drive at North Charles and 31st Streets, three miles north of
Baltimore's Inner Harbor. To obtain general Museum information,
call 410/396-7100 or click here, BMA
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