Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775 – 1851) was an English Romantic landscape painter, water-colorist, and printmaker. He is regarded as the artist who elevated landscape/marine painting thru the uncanny, and noble ability of arranging colors to offer a feel and stimulating effect of luminosity and volume. In his works, The Battle of Trafalgar c 1824, Fisherman at Sea c 1796, and in Mount Vesuvius in Eruption, c 1817, Turner fascinates his audience with a great command of color to capture moments either historical or current, in nature where things appear to be dire for the subject has he faces the wraths of god either thru war, storm or volcano. This ability was developed with academic inquiry and travel to Italy and Sweden. In 1817 , Turner again crossed to the Continent, this time to explore the Lowlands and the Rhineland. In 1819, he traveled to Italy where he stayed for six months before returning laden with over two thousand sketches, studies and rough watercolors. Angoh, Stéphanie (2013-03-15). Turner (Kindle Locations 179-181). Parkstone International. Kindle Edition.
He is commonly known as "the painter of light" for a distinct and well deserved reason.
Turner's sense of the vivacity of color was enormously stimulated by his visit to Italy in 1819, understandable, given that the color sensibilities of most northern European artists are transformed by their contact with Italian light and color. Angoh, Stéphanie (2013-03-15). Turner (Kindle Locations 291-293). Parkstone International. Kindle Edition.
