Turner in his Time

by Andrew Wilton

Spectacular reproductions of Turner's works, set in the context of the artist's themes, ventures, and journeys in England and Europe.

J. M. W. Turner is one of the most famous—and most mysterious—of artists. His paintings are among the masterpieces of Western art, and the range of his work and the originality of his technique make him a giant. He kept his private life a secret, and his contradictory personality, his love of mystification, and his revolutionary manner of painting all fascinated his contemporaries and still arouse our curiosity today.

Andrew Wilton's knowledge and enthusiasm uniquely qualify him to introduce us to the artist's life, and he concentrates here on original sources: Turner's writings, in the form of letters, notes, and verse; impressions recorded by his contemporaries; and reviews of his exhibited works. A comprehensive illustrated chronology covers Turner's travels, exhibitions, and projects, and includes portraits of his friends and patrons, views of places with which he was associated, and works by other artists who played a crucial role in forming his style and thought.

• Revised and updated edition
• Now with color illustrations throughout (200 illustrations total, 150 in color)
• Forty-four works are new to the book
• Includes a recently discovered watercolor
•

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Biography, History, Reference, Art History

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Bill Powers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good representation of Turner's art.

[Aidan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-written text, but I could really do without direct quotations from Turner himself. That guy could not put a single coherent sentence together.

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The book is great, well presented, the images are of good quality. But the subject became boring to me in the course of reading this book. Turner as a person just wasn't interesting.

[Simona · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you simply want to look at the illustrations, this book is five start. When it comes to writing though, terribly dull and dreary. I understand that Turner wasn't the most exciting of characters aside from his enormous talent but I'm certain Andrew Wilton could have found more exciting way to talk about the man and his work.

[E. G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introduction

--Turner in His Time

Chronology
Inventory of the Late Residence of J. M. W. Turner
Turner's Library
Bibliography
List of Illustrations
Index