Turner: Painting the Sublime, in Dialogue with Contemporary Art

Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851) stands as one of the most radical and influential figures in the history of Western painting. A leading force of 19th-century British art, Turner transformed landscape painting through his visionary treatment of light, atmosphere and colour, pushing representation toward the threshold of abstraction. Often called the ‘painter of light’, his audacious experiments with form and luminosity anticipated Impressionism and continue to resonate with artists today. Revered as a national icon in Britain, where his image now appears on the £20 note, Turner remains a symbol of artistic innovation and poetic intensity.

The substance of ‘Painting the Sublime, in Dialogue with Contemporary Art’ at the National Museum of Western Art is drawn from the Tate in London, home to the world’s most comprehensive Turner collection. Featuring more than 40 oil paintings alongside over 40 works on paper, including watercolours and gouaches, the exhibition offers a sweeping view of Turner’s career, from dramatic seascapes and Alpine visions to luminous studies of Venice and history.

Organised thematically in a loose chronological flow, the exhibition introduces a distinctive curatorial approach by placing Turner’s works in dialogue with selected pieces by contemporary artists. These juxtapositions illuminate how Turner’s exploration of the sublime continues to echo across time, shaping artistic inquiry today.

Note that admission to the exhibition is free for college and high school students from November 4 to 19.