Filled with glossy reproductions and engaging text reflecting the latest scholarship, this portable and affordable volume is the perfect introduction to one of the most important pioneers of modernism in Britain and beyond.

Joseph Mallord William Turner is considered a forerunner of modernism in Europe. More than almost any other artist of the first half of the 19th century, he succeeded in making atmosphere and colour the defining elements of his paintings. His world-famous landscapes, seascapes and vedute bear witness to his virtuoso use of light; the figurative seems to dissolve in favour of atmosphere. This book consolidates Turner's reputation as a model for the Impressionists and a precursor of abstraction. An introductory essay sheds light on Turner's life and work within a historical context, while a selection of paintings and watercolours are examined in detail.

Publisher: Prestel Art Book