Festival to mark 250 years since artist’s birth

A year-long festival of exhibitions and events to celebrate 250 years since the birth of artist JMW Turner has been announced.

Joseph Mallord William Turner was born in London on 23 April 1775 and was considered one of the greatest Romantic artists, famous for his landscapes and seascapes.

Amongst the events planned for Turner 250, the Turner Contemporary gallery in Margate, Kent, will display an oil sketch the artist created on the town’s seafront, a BBC documentary will be aired and exhibitions will be held across the UK.

Arts minister Sir Chris Bryant said Turner “reshaped British art” and was “an innovator who created some of our best known canvasses”.

Known as “the painter of light”, Turner created landscapes and seascapes that often reflected changes to the landscape and atmosphere caused by human activity, particularly as a result of the industrial revolution.

He is known for the works The Fighting Temeraire, The Slave Ship, The Battle Of Trafalgar and The Burning Of The Houses Of Lords And Commons, among other pieces, which capture tempestuous scenery as he helped redefine landscape painting.

JMW Turner died in 1851 at the age of 76.

“His influence continues to resonate, whether through the Turner Prize, his place on the £20 note or the countless artists inspired by his work,” a Tate spokesperson said.

Turner Contemporary in Margate, built near the spot where the celebrated artist loved to paint the sea, was named after him when it opened in 2011.

It will display his oil sketch Waves Breaking on a Lee Shore at Margate (Study for Rockets and Blue Lights) from April for a year, on loan from Tate Britain.

Taking place throughout 2025, the programme “invites audiences nationwide and beyond to rediscover Turner’s remarkable life, works, and enduring legacy”.

Key highlights of Turner 250 include:

• Exhibitions in London, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Norwich, Bath as well as Petworth in West Sussex (from June to November) where the artist regularly visited
• Special displays and events will explore Turner’s influence on modern and contemporary art.
• A comprehensive catalogue of Turner’s 37,500 sketches and watercolours will be made available on Tate’s website.
• BBC Arts will premiere a major documentary on the painter’s life and art
• An international conference in London and a summit in Margate

Maria Balshaw, director of Tate, said: “As caretakers of the world’s largest collection of his works, we are honoured to play a central role in Turner 250.

“Over the course of the year, we will showcase over 150 works at Tate Britain and lend many more to venues across the UK and beyond.”