J.M.W. Turner

Widely regarded as one of the greatest landscape painters in the history of art, Turner's influence on the development of Impressionism has been well documented. What has been less explored is the way his influence spread beyond Europe, providing a foundational model for American artists challenged with tackling the vast panoramas of the New World. Landscape painting was seen as the art form most closely allied to the identity of the newly independent nation which encompassed an unparalleled diversity of landscape scenery. Turner's revolutionary depictions of light, colour and atmospherics in the landscape coupled with his understanding of the sublime in nature made him among the most acclaimed and keenly studied European artists in the New World. Accompanying the largest ever touring exhibition of Turner's works in the USA, J.M.W. Turner will explore the artist's legacy and the importance of his ideas for succeeding generations of painters on both sides of the Atlantic. Written by leading Turner scholars from Britain and America, the book will be extensively illustrated in full colour throughout, providing both an overview of Turner's career and an exploration of Turner's relevance to the USA today and to American art history. Containing new research by some of the world's leading authorities on Turner and North American landscape painting, and combining expertise from British and American museums and institutions, this publication will prove invaluable to all with a serious interest in one of history's most influential and remarkable artists.