Turner and the Masters

Book excerpt: "J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851) is widely regarded as the greatest painter Britain has ever produced. Despite the many books and exhibitions that have been devoted to him, there is one aspect of his extraordinary oeuvre that has never been thoroughly examined. Uniquely in the history of European art, he took on all comers, past and present, that he considered worthy of a challenge, creating his own images in their styles. These works were both acts of homage and a sophisticated form of art criticism, demonstrating his understanding of great art and his ability to equal or better the most celebrated exponents of the landscape tradition. No artist, however revered, was considered beyond challenge. This unique habit is clearly a key to understanding Turner's art, yet the issue is one that has so far never been thoroughly addressed on Turner and on British art of the 18th and 19th centuries. In "Turner and the Masters" leading authorities explore this fascinating aspect of his career, revealing new detail on the debts and rivalries that shaped his work in often unexpected ways. Accompanying a major touring exhibition that brings together works by Turner with masterpieces by Claude, Canaletto, Ruisdael, Van de Velde, Poussin, Rubens and Rembrandt, as well as by Turner's contemporaries including Constable and Bonnington, this book firmly positions Turner in the company of the greatest painters of all time. The contributors include Guillaume Faroult, Sarah Monks, Martin Myrone, Kathleen Nicholson, Philippa Simpson and Ian Warrell." --Book Jacket.