Turner, Prized

Landschap is a Dutch word that translates to "landscape" in English. It refers to the physical features of a specific area of Earth's surface, both biological composition and physical environment [schap = shaping, or condition]. This word was first used by Dutch painters in the late 16th century to describe paintings of rural or natural scenery. The word landscape was first recorded in English in 1598 and comes from this Dutch term. 

JMW Turner was a master of this genre.  As we approach the 250th anniversary of his birth, Norwich Castle Museum is hosting an exhibition "JMW Turner and the changing Visions of Landscape". Bob and I visited this week. It was excellent.
Everybody wants to have a Turner show at the minute, and I have to say that for what is really just a provincial museum out in the sticks, NCM has excelled itself. They have brought together 4 paintings and 9 sketches, alongside other works which have influenced him, or been influenced by him, in a carefully curated exhibition.

The banner on the NCM website shows this beautifully. Cornfields and Dunes [Ruisdael, 1660s], Walton Bridges[JMWT 1806] 'Void of War [Nash 1918]

I first encountered Turner in 1969 - I was staying in a boarding school in Sussex [Baptist Summer School Youth Holiday] and as I came downstairs from my bedroom, there was a large print on the wall as the stairs turned a corner. I sat on the stairs and looked at it for ages - and did that most days of my holiday. I was gripped by it.

Since then I have been often to gaze at the original in the National Gallery. The Fighting Temeraire is one of my favourite artworks. Bob loves Turner too, and so it was a privilege to go and spend the afternoon together at the exhibition.

Two early landscape painters who were a great influence Claude Lorrain - 1650s [Capability Brown used his 'imagined' landscapes to help with his grandiose garden planning] and Canaletto, a century later. This is Walton Bridge on the Thames [the first, wooden construction, over the river, high enough to allow boats beneath]

The choice of the Canaletto at the start of the exhibition is significant - Turner lived near here, and painted many pictures of this stretch of the river, NCM secured 4 of these to display [one from a private collection, never before shown in public]

Turner owned a boat, and would go up and down the river sketching, and painting views of the bridge.

This one, quite detailed, shows the river transport, the grazing cattle, and buildings in the background. Painted in 1806. The bargemen transported goods to and from the capital. He is portraying modern commerce in the rural setting.

These two, also 1805 - much less detailed, and from opposite viewpoints, but still the sense of wide sky, clouds, trees, reflections in the water.

This one, from the 1840s. Much more impressionist in style- the arches of the bridges disappearing into the mist [this was Bob's favourite in the show!]

A few visitors have apparently complained there are not enough Turners, and why have all these other artists? Methinks they have missed the point somewhat. The exhibition is called The Changing Visions Of Landscape implying that attitudes have changed, and landscapes have been perceived differently across the centuries.

Some artists have focussed on nature 'as it is' and others have sought to show the impact of people on the shape of the land. Again, well done to the people at NCM who found artworks in their collection to demonstrate this.  There was a 1909 picture of Snowdon [Yr Wyddfa its correct Welsh name] by Cotman, artist of the Norwich School and friend of JMWT . All rugged mountains, with a tiny figure walking by the water

But also a 1930s piece by another Norfolk artist, Claughton Pellew. 

He lived in North Norfolk for 40 years, and here is his engraving "Marsh Marigolds"

We are on the ground, imagining ourselves as part of the landscape - smelling the flowers, hearing the bees buzzing overhead. Pellew was fascinated by nature, there is incredible detail in this piece.

I did love The Woodcutter's Child by Hughes [1860s] but you know me, I'm rather fond of the PreRaphaelites! One final contemporary piece by Henna Nadeem from 2004.

The countryside has always been subject to change, and re-invention. Despite this, there lingers the idea of an innate "Britishness" which should not change. It is easy to get anxious when the older narratives seem to be disappearing. Nadeem believes we should find new stories which will blend with the old. She has taken photographs from a 1950s book about Britain and superimposed other images over them, reflecting how the two can work together.

Here she has superimposed the framework of a window in a contemporary British mosque over an older photo of sailing ships.

If you stand back and look at the colours and the images, it is apparent that her inspiration for this was 'The Fighting Temeraire' . I don't usually like modern art - but this one resonated with me. 

We have come full circle - back to Turner's work two and a half centuries ago.

I don't feel this post has really done justice to the exhibition [I wish I had gone earlier - it finishes on Feb 23rd] Bob and I are still talking about the pictures, and our wonderful Norfolk landscapes. 

This was a lovely afternoon - learning so much! Thank you NCM