About J. M. W. Turner
J. M. W. Turner was the great English painter of light, weather and the sea. His late paintings dissolve ships, trains and storms into swirling color, decades before Impressionism.
He left hundreds of paintings and thousands of drawings to the British nation; most are at Tate Britain and the National Gallery in London.
Born in London in 1775, the son of a barber, he entered the Royal Academy Schools at 14 and was elected a full Royal Academician in 1802, while still in his twenties. He traveled constantly, filling sketchbooks in the Alps, along the Rhine and above all in Venice, and worked up the sketches into oils and watercolors back in his London studio.
The Fighting Temeraire (1839) shows an old warship from the Battle of Trafalgar being towed to the breakers by a small steam tug at sunset, and Rain, Steam and Speed (1844) sends a locomotive charging across a bridge through the rain. Both hang in the National Gallery in London, and Britain's best known contemporary art award, the Turner Prize, is named after him.
Where to see J. M. W. Turner's famous paintings
| Painting | Date | Where |
|---|---|---|
| The Fighting Temeraire | 1839 | The National Gallery, London |
| Rain, Steam and Speed | 1844 | The National Gallery, London |
How big are they?
The paintings drawn to scale next to a person 1.7 m tall.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most famous paintings by J. M. W. Turner?
The Fighting Temeraire, Rain, Steam and Speed.
Where can I see paintings by J. M. W. Turner?
The Fighting Temeraire at The National Gallery in London; Rain, Steam and Speed at The National Gallery in London.
When did J. M. W. Turner live?
J. M. W. Turner was born in 1775 and died in 1851.
Sources: Wikidata Q159758. Checked October 17, 2026. How we check.