www.artxworld.com, June 2008

Major Retrospective of British Artist J. M. W. Turner.

Opens at Metropolitan Museum on July 1

Exhibition dates: July 1 – September 21, 2008
Exhibition location: The Tisch Galleries, 2nd floor
Press preview: Monday, June 23, 10:00 a.m. – noon

The first major retrospective of the work of celebrated British artist J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851) to be presented in the United States in more than 40 yearswill be on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art beginning July 1, 2008. Theexhibition J. M. W. Turner will represent the artist’s extensive iconographic range,from seascapes and topographical views to historical subjects and scenes from hisimagination. More than half of the approximately 140 paintings and watercolorson view will be on loan from Tate Britain, which houses the Turner Bequest, themost comprehensive collection of the artist’s work in the world. These will becomplemented by works from other collections in Europe and North America. Bank of America is proud to be the national sponsor. Additional support is generously provided by Access Industries.The exhibition is also made possible in part by the Gail and Parker Gilbert Fund and The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation.

It was organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the NationalGallery of Art, Washington, and the Dallas Museum of Art, in association with Tate Britain, London.The exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Artsand the Humanities. Exhibition Overview and HighlightsThe retrospective will provide a rich overview of the artistic achievement of Joseph Mallord William Turner as it documents the evolution of his unique style. In a career that spanned more than six decades, Turner essayed a wide range of subjects,from landscapes—a genre that he dominated during the first half of the 19th century in Britain—to historical and modern scenes and subjects of his own invention. A fascination with light and color characterizes his work in all media. In addition, his technical innovations, notably in watercolor, had a profound impact on subsequent artistic developments across the Channel in France, as well as in the United States. Born in London in 1775, Turner spent his early childhood in Covent Garden, where his father had a barber shop. At a very young age he showed talent in sketching and became a draftsman with an architect. When he was fourteen, Turner enrolled in London’s Royal Academy of Arts Schools and in 1802 becamethe youngest artist to be elected as a full Academician. As a student, Turnerstudied with Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-92), who was in his last years as president of the Royal Academy. Reynolds encouraged his students to study the techniquesof the Old Masters. The idealized landscapes of Claude Lorrain (c.1604/5-82)served as a touchstone for Turner throughout his career.

The exhibition will feature many of the remarkable canvases that Turner exhibited at the Royal Academy—works that established his reputation—from his firstexhibited oil, Fishermen at Sea (1796, Tate), to the luminous paintings The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, 16 October 1834 (1835,Philadelphia Museum of Art) and Keelmen Heaving in Coals by Moonlight (1835, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C). The iconic Snow Storm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps (1812, Tate) will be on view in the United Statesfor the first time during this exhibition tour. J. M. W. Turner will also include theartist’s “color beginnings,” or watercolor studies for subsequently developed images, along with his finished watercolors. The exhibition will be organizedboth thematically and chronologically, beginning with his earliest Sublime and historical landscapes and culminating with his late seascapes and light-filled canvases. Prior to its showing at the Metropolitan, J. M. W. Turner was on view at theNational Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Dallas Museum of Art. TheTrustees of the Tate have made a special exception to allow the works from the Turner Bequest to be out of England for the duration of the U.S. tour. Audio GuidesAn audio tour of the exhibition, part of the Metropolitan’s Audio Guide program, will be available for rental ($7, $6 for members, and $5 for children under 12). The Audio Guide program is sponsored by Bloomberg. Exhibition Organization and CatalogueAt the Metropolitan Museum, the exhibition is organized by Gary Tinterow, J. M. W. TurnerPage 4 Engelhard Curator in Charge, and Kathryn Calley Galitz, Assistant Curator, both of the Department of Nineteenth-Century, Modern, and Contemporary Art. Exhibition design is by Michael Langley, Senior Exhibition Designer; graphics areby Barbara Weiss, Senior Graphic Designer; and lighting is by Clint Ross Collerand Richard Lichte, Senior Lighting Designers, all of the Metropolitan Museum’sDesign Department. The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue edited by Turnerscholar Ian Warrell and published by the Tate. It is available in the Metropolitan Museum’s bookshops ($55 hardcover and $35 paperback). Related ProgramsA variety of education programs has been organized to complement the exhibition. World Views: Landscapes in the Metropolitan, a week-long teacher program from July 28 through August 1, will allow participants to collaborate in creating a classroom resource to stimulate student discussion on works in the permanent collection as well as the exhibition J. M. W. Turner. Other highlights include a Sunday at the Met lecture program; a series of gallery talks; and lectures.

Otherprograms will also be featured on the Museum’s website at www.metmuseum.org.May 27, 2008

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