Explores the last quarter century of the great if eccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851). Profoundly affected by the death of his father, loved by a housekeeper he takes for granted and occasionally exploits sexually, he forms a close relationship with a seaside landlady with whom he eventually lives incognito in Chelsea, where he dies.

Focusing on eight iconic works of art, this series reveals the history of visual imagination through the ages. A combination of reconstruction, photography and storytelling transport the viewer back to the intense moments when great works were conceived and born: the murderous, messianic world of Baroque Rome; opulent, parvenu Amsterdam; paranoid, revolutionary Paris; Victorian England suffocating beneath riches and righteousness; the madhouses and...

This authoritative visual guide to the artistic materials and painting techniques of J. M. W. Turner brings to life the skills of one of the world's greatest artists. Details of his watercolours and oil paintings, usually only available to small numbers of museum professionals, and an experienced artist's recreation of his core painting processes, combine with in-depth research into Turner's use of new materials to give unique insights into his creative...