J. M. W. Turner

Born the son of a London barber, Turner retained his lower-class accent even after achieving fame. He was known for his prickly personality and indifference to worldly success, often neglecting his own gallery as he aged.¹

A child prodigy, Turner entered the Royal Academy at 14 and exhibited his first work at 15. Though initially interested in architecture, he focused on painting and eventually elevated landscape art to the status of history painting.¹

As a young man, Turner studied under Thomas Malton, learning the basics of perspective and topographical drawing. He later called Malton his "real master," and these early architectural exercises formed the foundation of his composition.¹

Turner established his reputation as an oil painter with "Fishermen at Sea" in 1796. This moonlight scene was praised as a summary of 18th-century marine art and marked the beginning of his celebrated career as a painter of the sea.¹

Starting in 1802, Turner travelled extensively across Europe, becoming particularly captivated by Venice. His voluminous sketchbooks from these trips served as the foundation for his studio works, a method he used throughout his career.¹

From 1807, Turner served as a professor of perspective at the Royal Academy for over 20 years. Despite his difficult nature, he was dedicated to teaching the fusion of architectural accuracy and artistic expression to his students.¹

Following his father's death in 1829, Turner became increasingly pessimistic and reclusive. Despite declining health in his later years, he intensified his artistic focus, creating more powerful and introspective works while living in isolation.¹

From 1840, Turner was championed by the leading critic John Ruskin. Ruskin praised him as a genius who elevated landscape painting to the level of history painting, playing a key role in cementing Turner's lasting reputation.¹

Known as an eccentric who valued privacy, Turner famously rowed a boat into the Thames during the 1841 census to avoid being recorded at any address. In his final years, he lived under an assumed name, remaining a mysterious figure.¹

Turner passed away in 1851 at the age of 76 and was buried in St Paul's Cathedral. He bequeathed his vast collection of works to the nation, and today he is regarded as one of the greatest painters England has ever produced.¹