(London, 1775, 1851) Joseph Mallord William Turner was an English painter and artist. Turner was born in London, England on April 23, 1775, at his parents home on 21 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden. His one great passion in life since childhood was to be an artist. He would have a few women friends in his lifetime, and probably did father some children, but had no particular affection for these children, but did provide for their financial needs. His father was a barber and his mother a housewife who, early in Turner's life, had shown signs of emotional instability. She was later admitted to an asylum, and would died in 1804 within the confines of its walls. He became very close to his father, and remained so until his father's death in 1829. Unlike many parents, his father always showed an understanding of his son's artistic endeavors, and would later close up shop as a barber, and become a full time business manager of his son's finances and career. Turner was sent to live for about a year with an uncle in Brentford, Middlesex in 1786. During this time he explored the countryside around Twickenham. His first signed and dated drawings resulted from this time period. At 14, the young artists first known sketchbook was a small 6"x10" book that he filled with drawings of landscapes, a church, houses, and trees. He became especially fond of old buildings, castles, churches, and ruins that he found during his walking tours of the countryside. Walking long distances of as much as 25 miles in a day, with sketchbook in hand, would become a practice that he continued throughout most of his life. All considered, he was largely a self taught artist. Turner spent many hours, during his later travels in Europe, copying the works of old masters in the Louve and other museums, and of course his love, sketching from nature. In 1789, Turner enrolled in the Royal Academy Schools. A watercolor by Turner marked his first exhibit at the Academy in 1790. By 1795, having specialized in watercolors and drawings, he became interested in oil painting. One of his first oil paintings, "Fishermen at Sea" was hung at the Royal Academy in 1796. Turner was 16 at the time, and well on the road to becoming an artist of note. During this time he took his first sketching tour of South and Central Wales in 1792. In June and July of 1795, he visited South Wales and the Isle of Wight...and later toured the North of England. In November of 1799 he was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Art, at the age of 24. At this time he moved from his parents home to 64 Harley Street...later completing a gallery in 1804 at this address, to exhibit his own works. It's thought during this period that Turner met Sarah Danby, and after her husbands death in 1798, that she became his mistress in 1799. All though he never lived with her, he did help support her children, and she is believed to have had his first child. Unsocial by nature, his genius as an artist could not be overlooked by the art world. Turner was given full membership into the Royal Academy in 1802 at the age of 27. Turner never showed any real gratitude toward the Academy, as was expected of new members for this high distinction. He had few friends, probably because of his volatile nature, sometimes lashing out at his peers. Turner's first tour of Scotland would be in 1801, where he produced numerous drawings and watercolors from this visit. The "Treaty of Amiens" was signed in 1802. This temporarily put an end to the Napoleonic war between France and England, and allowed Turner to visit France, and from there to easily travel beyond to Switzerland, and other countries. It would not be until 1819 that he would visit Italy for the first time at the age of 44...crossing into the country via the Mont Cerris Pass. Turner made over 400 sketches during his visit to France and Switzerland. On his return trip he visited the Louve, and spent time copying and studying techniques of the old masters. In 1807 Turner was elected "Professor of Perspective" at the Royal Academy, a subject that he would teach at the Academy for many years. In the 1830's Turner started doing commercial illustrative etchings to be published in the books of various poet's work such as Byron, Rogers, Campbell, among others. As the mid 30's approached, Turner's paintings began to show a concentration of more color and light effects without regard to traditional principals...showing less structural details, and more experimentation. This to say the least, upset many in the art world at the time. His reputation as a leading artist of the day sustained him through all the slings and arrows of outrage. Occasionally Turner would return to paint in a more traditional manner...but as time passed his paintings would display, more and more, wild effects of color and light. Academic painters continues to complained that Turner had lost all form in a haze of light. Although his paintings became more abstract in expression he was able to maintain a delicate balance in the structure of elements within his paintings...something that was hotly debated as time went on. Turner was a guest of Lord Egremont, at his country Petworth mansion in West Sussex many times through the years. He considered it one of the most beautiful houses in England, and did many paintings of the interior and exterior of the mansion. Like other acquaintances, Turner met Lord Egremont through a purchase of the artists' work. Turner found a particular attraction to natures violence, from the stormy landscapes of the Alps in Switzerland to storms at sea. Turner visited Italy for the last time in 1841-1842, being well into his 60's. Later he made a trip to Switzerland, Heidelberg, and the Rhine in 1844. The Great Western Railway locomotive, traveling at speeds of more than 90 mph, was the fastest train in Europe at the time. Turner being a passenger during 1844, remarked that he had put his head out the window during a rain storm, for more than nine minutes to observe the effect of the speed and wind. In July of 1845 Turner was chosen as the eldest Academician to carry out the duties of President of the Royal Academy, during the illness of the then elected President. His last trip abroad would be a trip to Deppe and the coast of Picardy in the autumn of 1845. In late life his work became more and more unstructured and unstable...much like his personal life, as he appeared to deteriorate into alcoholism. He became more reclusive, sometimes disappearing for days. He did buy a home during this time. The woman who had owned it, known as Mrs. Booth, continued to live there as his housekeeper for a number of years. On his death he willed the property to her. She never knew his real name, or that he was a wealthy and famous man. The tavern's that he frequented knew him only as an impoverished naval officer by the name of Admiral Booth. As the end grew near for Turner, his diet consisted of mainly rum and milk. Sometimes drinking two quarts a day of the mixture. He would always take a bottle of gin with him when he went out to sketch. Turner died in his room on December 19, 1851, overlooking the Thames river. Despite the fact that he made few friends, a crowd gathered at St. Paul's Cathedral. Most of his fortune was left to the public, including more than 19,000 pieces of his work.
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