Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, October 16, 1834", 1834–1835. Oil on canvas. Philadelphia Museum of Art. The John Howard McFadden Collection.

TORONTO.- This fall the Art Gallery of Ontario hosts a major exhibition celebrating the experimental and contemplative works of Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851), a giant of British art. J.M.W. Turner: Painting Set Free features more than 50 large-scale paintings and watercolours on loan from Tate Britain and makes the case that the radical works created in the final 15 years of Turner’s career, with their arresting use of light, represent a fulfillment of the artist’s upward trajectory. 

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Regulus", 1828, reworked 1837. Oil paint on canvas, 89.5 x 123.8 cm.Tate. Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856. Courtesy of Tate Photography

“By bringing an exhibition of this calibre to Toronto this fall, the AGO will offer an exceptional experience to its members and visitors, and we’re delighted to be partnering with one of the world’s most renowned art institutions to do so,” says Stephanie Smith, the AGO’s Chief Curator. “Turner was a great artist who reimagined the medium of painting to create powerful and beautiful works. Through his art, he invites us to bear witness to the rapidly changing world of his time and to delight in the power of the artistic imagination." 

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Venice: An Imaginary View of the Arsenale", c. 1840. Watercolour And Bodycolour On Paper, 243 x 308 mm. Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856. Photography © Tate, London 2015

Premiered at Tate Britain in September 2014 and heralded by critics across the U.K. as “an exciting, entrancing show” (The Guardian) and “sensational” (London Evening Standard), J.M.W. Turner: Painting Set Free focuses on the final and most experimental phase of the artist’s career. Beginning in 1835 and closing with his last exhibitions at the Royal Academy in 1850, the exhibition sets out to show how Turner’s final years were a time of exceptional energy and vigour, initiated by one of his most wide-ranging tours of Europe. The installation at the AGO has been coordinated by Lloyd DeWitt, AGO Curator of European Art. 

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Peace – Burial at Sea". Oil Paint On Canvas, 870 x 867 mm. Exhibited 1842, Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856. Photography © Tate, London 2015

Turner’s late works, with their emphasis on atmosphere, are famous for their sublime colour palettes, textures and arresting use of light. Highlights of the exhibition include the large historical works Ancient Rome: Agrippina Landing with the Ashes of Germanicus (exhibited 1839); Snow Storm - Steam Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth (exhibited 1842) and the iconic Angel Standing in the Sun (exhibited 1846); as well as numerous and magnificent watercolours, including The Blue Rigi, Sunrise (1842) and the haunting Fire at the Grand Storehouse of the Tower of London (1841). 

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Ancient Rome; Agrippina Landing with the Ashes of Germanicus", Exhibited 1839. Oil Paint On Canvas, 914 x 1219 mm. Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856. Photography © Tate, London 2015

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, Snow Storm – Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth, Exhibited 1842.Oil Paint On Canvas, 914 x 1219 mm. Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856. Photography © Tate, London 2015

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "The Angel Standing in the Sun", Exhibited 1846. Oil Paint On Canvas, 787 x 787 mm. Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856. Photography © Tate, London 2015

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "The Blue Rigi, Sunrise", 1842, Watercolour On Paper, 297 x 450 mm. Purchased with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Art Fund (with a contribution from the Wolfson Foundation and including generous support from David and Susan Gradel, and from other members of the public through the Save the Blue Rigi appeal), Tate Members and other donors 2007. Photography © Tate, London 2015

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Fire at the Grand Storehouse of the Tower of London", 1841. Watercolour On Paper, 235 x 325 mm. Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856. Photography © Tate, London 2015

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Fire at the Grand Storehouse of the Tower of London", 1841.Watercolour On Paper, 235 x 325 mm. Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856. Photography © Tate, London 2015

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Fire at the Grand Storehouse of the Tower of London", 1841.Watercolour On Paper, 235 x 325 mm. Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856. Photography © Tate, London 2015

“J.M.W. Turner is a towering figure of British 19th-century art,” says DeWitt. “His innovative approach remains an ongoing inspiration to contemporary artists and audiences. And yet it was during this last, most fruitful period of his life that his art was most misunderstood. Mocked publicly, Turner baffled his critics with his radical approach. Nonetheless, he carried on experimenting with unusual subject matters and different canvas formats and mastering his free and spontaneous techniques in both oil and watercolour.” 

J.M.W. Turner: Painting Set Free runs at the AGO until Jan. 31, 2016.

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Modern Rome - Campo Vaccino", 1839. Oil On Canvas, 36 1/8 x 48 1/4 in., 91.8 x 122.6 cm. J. Paul Getty Museum, 2011.6 © J. Paul Getty Museum

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "The 'Fighting Temeraire'", before 1839. Oil On Canvas, 90.8 x 121.9 cm. National Gallery London © National Gallery London

 Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Norham Castle, Sunrise", c.1845. Oil Paint On Canvas, 908 x 1219 mm © Tate, London 2015

 Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "A Figure Study, possibly for The Angel Standing in the Sun", c.1841-5. Watercolour On Paper, 186 x 230 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Fiery Sunset off the Coast", c.1841-5. Watercolour On Paper, 185 x 230 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "River or Coastal Subject: ?Light Towers", c.1841-5 Graphite And Watercolour On Paper 185 x 230 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Bridge with Sunlight, possibly Coblenz", c.1841-5. Graphite And Watercolour On Paper, 183 x 229 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "An Imaginary View of the Arsenale", c.1840. Watercolour And Bodycolour On Paper, 243 x 308 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Venice: Santa Maria della Salute, Night Scene with Rockets", c.1840. Watercolour And Bodycolour On Paper, 240 x 315 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, from Lausanne Sketchbook [Finberg CCCXXXIV], "Funeral at Lausanne", 1841. Graphite And Watercolour On Paper, 235 x 337 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Turner's Bedroom in the Palazzo Giustinian (the Hotel Europa), Venice", c.1840. Watercolour And Bodycolour On Paper, 230 x 302 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Venice at Sunrise from the Hotel Europa, with the Campanile of San Marco", c.1840. Watercolour On Paper, 198 x 280 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "The Angel Troubling the Pool", c.1845. Graphite And Watercolour On Paper, 228 x 290 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, from Lausanne Sketchbook [Finberg CCCXXXIV], "Lake Geneva, with the Dent d'Oche, from above Lausanne", 1841. Graphite And Watercolour On Paper, 235 x 338 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Goldau, with the Lake of Zug in the Distance: Sample Study", c.1842-3. Graphite, Watercolour And Pen On Paper, 228 x 290 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "The Red Rigi: Sample Study", c.1841-2. Watercolour On Paper, 228 x 302 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "The Pass of the Splügen: Sample Study", c.1841-2. Graphite And Watercolour On Paper, 243 x 304 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Fishermen on the Lagoon, Moonlight", 1840. Watercolour On Paper, 192 x 280 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Ehrenbreitstein", 1841. Watercolour And Pen On Paper, 250 x 315 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "The Blue Rigi: Sample Study", c.1841-2. Watercolour On Paper, 230 x 326 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Rain Clouds", c.1845. Watercolour On Paper, 291 x 440 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Ehrenbreitstein", 1841. Watercolour And Pen And Ink On Paper, 237 x 300 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Rainbow among Purple and Blue Clouds", c.1840-5. Watercolour On Paper, 278 x 440 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "The Dogano, San Giorgio, Citella, from the Steps of the Europa", 1842. Oil Paint On Canvas, 616 x 927 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Light and Colour (Goethe's Theory) - the Morning after the Deluge - Moses Writing the Book of Genesis", 1843. Oil Paint On Canvas, 787 x 787 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "The Sun of Venice Going to Sea", 1843. Oil Paint On Canvas, 616 x 921 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Fishing Boats Bringing a Disabled Ship into Port Ruysdael", 1844. Oil Paint On Canvas, 914 x 1232 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Hurrah! for the Whaler Erebus! Another Fish!'", 1846. Oil Paint On Canvas, 902 x 1206 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Whalers (Boiling Blubber) Entangled in Flaw Ice, Endeavouring to Extricate Themselves", 1846. Oil Paint On Canvas, 899 x 1200 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Undine Giving the Ring to Massaniello, Fisherman of Naples", 1846. Oil Paint On Canvas, 791 x 791 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "The Hero of a Hundred Fights", c.1800-10. Oil Paint On Canvas, 908 x 1213 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Mercury Sent to Admonish Aeneas", 1850. Oil Paint On Canvas, 902 x 1206 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "The Departure of the Fleet", 1850. Oil Paint On Canvas, 899 x 1203 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "The Visit to the Tomb", 1850. Oil Paint On Canvas, 914 x 1219 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Rough Sea with Wreckage", c.1840-5. Oil Paint On Canvas, 921 x 1226 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Sunrise, with a Boat between Headlands", c.1840-5. Oil Paint On Canvas, 914 x 1219 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "The Ponte Delle Torri, Spoleto", c.1840-5. Oil Paint On Canvas, 914 x 1219 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "The Disembarkation of Louis-Philippe at the Royal Clarence Yard, Gosport, 8 October 1844", c.1844-5. Oil Paint On Canvas, 908 x 1213 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Bellinzona from the Road to Locarno: Sample Study", 1841. Gouache, Graphite And Watercolour On Paper, 229 x 289 mm © Tate, London 2014

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Venice: Grand Canal with Santa Maria della Salute". Private Collection.

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "The Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute, Venice", 1843. Oil On Canvas, 24 7/16 x 36 5/8 in., 62 x 93 cm. National Gallery of Art. Given in memory of Governor Alvan T. Fuller by The Fuller Foundation, Inc., 1961.2.3 © National Gallery of Art

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "The Junction of the Thames and the Medway", 1807. Oil On Canvas, 42 13/16 x 56 9/16 in., 108.8 x 143.7 cm. National Gallery of Art, Widener Collection, 1942.9.87 © National Gallery of Art

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Mortlake Terrace", 1827. Oil On Canvas, 36 1/4 x 48 1/8 in., 92.1 x 122.2 cm. National Gallery of Art, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1937.1.109 © National Gallery of Art

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "The Evening of the Deluge", c. 1843. Oil On Canvas, 29 15/16 x 29 15/16 in., 76 x 76 cm. National Gallery of Art, Timken Collection, 1960.6.40 © National Gallery of Art

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "The Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute, Venice", 1843. Oil On Canvas, 24 7/16 x 36 5/8 in., 62 x 93 cm. National Gallery of Art. Given in memory of Governor Alvan T. Fuller by The Fuller Foundation, Inc. 1961.2.3 © National Gallery of Art

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Keelmen Heaving in Coals by Moonlight", 1835. Oil On Canvas, 36 5/16 x 48 3/8 in., 92.3 x 122.8 cm. National Gallery of Art, Widener Collection, 1942.9.86 © National Gallery of Art

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Oberwesel", 1840. Watercolor And Gouache Over Graphite With Scratching Out, 13 3/4 x 20 7/8 in., 35 x 53.1 cm. National Gallery of Art, Paul Mellon Fund, 2007.77.1 © National Gallery of Art

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Venice: The Dogana and San Giorgio Maggiore", 1834. Oil On Canvas, 36 x 48 1/16 in., 91.5 x 122 cm. National Gallery of Art, Widener Collection, 1942.9.85 © National Gallery of Art

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Rotterdam Ferry-Boat", 1833. Oil On Canvas, 36 5/16 x 48 1/4 in., 92.3 x 122.5 cm. National Gallery of Art, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, 1970.17.135 © National Gallery of Art

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851, "Approach to Venice", 1844. Oil On Canvas, 24 7/16 x 37 in., 62 x 94 cm. National Gallery of Art, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1937.1.110 © National Gallery of Art