National Gallery Opens Exhibition of Major Loans of Paintings by Delaroche

Paul Delaroche, "Marie-Antoinette before the Tribunal", 1851. ©The Forbes Collection, New York

LONDON.- The exhibition features seven major international loans of paintings by Delaroche including 'The Princes in the Tower', 1830 and 'Young Christian Martyr', 1854–5 (both Louvre), and 'Strafford on his way to Execution,' 1835 (private collection). Displayed alongside are Delaroche’s expressive preparatory drawings for Lady Jane and a selection of comparative paintings and prints by his contemporaries, including Eugène Lami, Claude Jacquand and François-Marius Granet.

Monumental in scale, poignant in subject matter and uncanny in its realism, Delaroche’s depiction of the 17-year-old, who was Queen of England for just nine days, created a sensation when first unveiled at the Paris Salon of 1834. It appeared to usher in an entirely new form of painting. But what inspired a French artist in the 1830s to depict the final moments of a 16th-century English queen? In post-revolutionary France, artists began to combine monarchist sympathies with a Romantic interest in English literature and history. After the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, a generation of artists including Delaroche, Bonington and Lami found inspiration in Shakespeare, Byron and, above all, Walter Scott. Yet for Delaroche, English history provided a still more powerful muse. In a society deeply scarred by the violent upheavals of the French Revolution, English history presented remarkable parallels with recent events in French history – particularly the execution of Lady Jane Grey, the death of the princes in the Tower, the English Civil War and the regicide of Charles I.

Delaroche (1797–1856) first visited England and possibly Scotland in 1822 but returned to London five years later to prepare for his work on 'The Princes in the Tower', 1830 (Louvre). It is probable he visited the Tower of London itself, an experience which may have moved him to develop his two further Tower compositions: The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, 1833 (National Gallery, London) and 'Strafford on his Way to Execution', 1835 (private collection).

Like many of his peers, Delaroche showed a keen interest in the themes of usurpation and martyrdom. In 'Cromwell and Charles I', 1831 (Musée des Beaux-Arts, Nîmes), the artist depicts a sombre Cromwell contemplating the corpse of his enemy, the executed Charles. Always veiled in myth, the death of Lady Jane Grey (1537–1554) gave Delaroche his most poignant symbolic subject. Grey inherited the English crown amid a bitter political crisis following the death of Edward VI on 6 July 1553. Her reign ended on 19 July when Mary, her Catholic cousin and rival to the throne, led a successful counter-coup. Together with her young husband, Jane stood trial for treason. They were sentenced to death and Jane was re-imprisoned in the Tower, where she firmly resolved to become a Protestant martyr. She was beheaded on 12 February 1554. The events of that day have been fiercely debated ever since.

In Delaroche’s depiction, Jane is shown blindfolded and feeling for the executioner’s block. While emotionally the most compelling, this version of events owes more to 16th-century propaganda than to historical fact. Within six months of Jane’s death, her Protestant allies had her reinvented as an innocent martyr and victim of Catholic tyranny. In London, a dossier of doctored papers was soon in circulation, complete with the pathos of her groping for the block. Capturing the psychological moment of greatest intensity, Delaroche gave the Lady Jane myth an irresistible and seemingly unshakeable appeal. Appearing from the shadows in a dress of startling virgin white, she becomes the very apotheosis of female innocence.

Delaroche’s image was a striking reminder, for those with memories of recent French history, of the fates of Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette and the Dauphin. Delaroche undoubtedly made such associations in his own mind, as is suggested by a sheet of studies in which thumbnail drawings for Lady Jane appear alongside a composition of the Dauphin and his sister, before July 1830 (Louvre). Towards the end of his life, Delaroche completed a startling memorial to France’s executed queen in 'Marie-Antoinette before the Tribunal', 1851 (The Forbes Collection, New York).

Throughout the exhibition, 'Painting History' examines the singular intensity of Delaroche’s historical paintings in light of his close relationship with the theatre. From the 1820s, there was an increasing tendency in French theatre to draw on pictorial forms, and for plays to be divided into so-called ‘tableaux’ as well as acts. This new kind of theatre had a profound influence on Delaroche, who was also keenly receptive to the spatial possibilities offered by stage craft. Meanwhile, his own work lent itself to dramatic recreation and on several occasions, his paintings were represented on the stage, including 'Lady Jane Grey' and 'The Princes in the Tower'. By the time he was painting 'Lady Jane', Delaroche had also become romantically involved with Mademoiselle Anaïs, an actress now thought to be his model for the queen. A newly discovered portrait of Anaïs in coloured chalk, 1832 (private collection) is displayed here for the first time.

The exhibition also demonstrates how French and British artists such as Edouard Cibot (Anne Boleyn in the Tower of London, shortly after her Arrest, 1835, Musée Rolin, Autun), Jean-Léon Gérôme (The Execution of Marshal Ney, 1868, Museums Sheffield) and Jean-Paul Laurens (The Hostages, 1896, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon) continued to work in a manner directly inspired by Delaroche’s pioneering depictions.

Paul Delaroche, "Charles I Insulted by Cromwell’s Soldiers",1837, detail. ©Photo: The National Gallery, London

The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, Paul Delaroche, 1833. The National Gallery, London. Source: Wikipedia Commons

Paul Delaroche, La Jeune Martyre, 1855. Musée du Louvre © Musée du Louvre/A. Dequier - M. Bard

Sumptuously Illustrated Medieval Manuscript—The Belles Heures of Jean de France, Duc de Berry @ Metropolitan Museum of Art

Belles Heures of Jean of France, Duc of Berry, 1405–1408/9. Herman, Paul, and Jean Limbourg (Franco-Netherlandish, active in France, by 1399–1416). French; Made in Paris. Folio 30r, The Annunciation. Ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum. 9 3/8 x 6 5/8 in. (23.8 x 16.8 cm). The Cloisters Collection, 1954 (54.1.1).

One of the most beautiful manuscripts in the world is the lavishly illustrated medieval prayer book known as the Belles Heures (Beautiful Hours). It was created by the Limbourg Brothers—three of the greatest illuminators in Europe—for one of the most famous art patrons of all time, Jean de France, duc de Berry (1340–1416). The son, brother, and uncle to three successive kings of France, Jean de France commissioned luxury works in many media—from chalices to castles—without regard for cost, but is best remembered for his patronage of manuscripts. Herman, Paul, and Jean de Limbourg were in their teens when he selected them to create a sumptuous Book of Hours for his private prayers, and he allowed the young artists rare latitude in designing the work.

The exhibition is made possible by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Michel David-Weill Fund.

Belles Heures of Jean of France, Duc of Berry, 1405–1408/9. Herman, Paul, and Jean Limbourg (Franco-Netherlandish, active in France, by 1399–1416). French; Made in Paris. Folio 1r, Ex Libris of the Duke de Berry by Jean Flamel. Ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum. 9 3/8 x 6 5/8 in. (23.8 x 16.8 cm). The Cloisters Collection, 1954 (54.1.1)

"The manuscript known as the Belles Heures has been a treasured highlight of The Cloisters—the Met's branch museum devoted to medieval art and architecture—since 1954," commented Thomas P. Campbell, Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "In it are many magnificent illustrations of scenes from the Gospels and the lives of the saints, as one would expect in a book of private prayer. But also contained within this one manuscript are more brilliantly preserved paintings from the first decade of the 15th century north of the Alps than can be found collectively on the walls of all the major museums in Europe and North America. The number of images amazes us; their sheer beauty never fails to astonish. The great achievement of the Limbourg brothers—who were startlingly young when they created this manuscript—is the unique combination of clarity, luminosity, drama, and breathtaking technique with which they ornamented every page. The Belles Heures was truly the laboratory for the development of their artistic vision."

Belles Heures of Jean of France, Duc of Berry, 1405–1408/9. Herman, Paul, and Jean Limbourg (Franco-Netherlandish, active in France, by 1399–1416). French; Made in Paris. Folio 142r, Crucifixion with Christ Offered Vinegar. Ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum. 9 3/8 x 6 5/8 in. (23.8 x 16.8 cm). The Cloisters Collection, 1954 (54.1.1).

Exhibition Overview
The exhibition is arranged thematically, according to the sequence in which the sections appeared in the bound manuscript. It begins with 12 calendar pages, each of which is illustrated with a typical activity for the month at the top of the page and the related sign of the zodiac at the bottom. Other sections include readings from the Gospels, the Hours of the Virgin, the Hours of the Passion, and the Suffrages of the Saints, as well as pictorial histories of Saints Catherine, Jerome, and others. The exhibition ends with a prayer for travelers, in which the duc de Berry himself is portrayed on horseback leaving his castle with his retinue.

Belles Heures of Jean of France, Duc of Berry, 1405–1408/9. Herman, Paul, and Jean Limbourg (Franco-Netherlandish, active in France, by 1399–1416). French; Made in Paris. Folio 91v, Jean, duc of Berry, in Prayer. Ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum. 9 3/8 x 6 5/8 in. (23.8 x 16.8 cm). The Cloisters Collection, 1954 (54.1.1).

The brothers Herman, Paul, and Jean de Limbourg were born in the duchy of Guelders in the city of Nijmegen, today in the Netherlands. About 1398, Herman and Jean were apprenticed to a goldsmith in Paris. Their training was to have lasted six years, but was suspended—probably in November 1399—"because death was then about in Paris" (perhaps referring to the Black Plague). The Limbourgs were hired soon thereafter as illuminators by Philip the Bold, the duke of Burgundy. After Philip's death in 1404, his brother Jean de France engaged them and retained their services for the rest of their lives. (The Limbourg Brothers died within months of one another in 1416.) The Belles Heures is one of three manuscripts that they are known to have worked on, yet it is the only complete manuscript attributed to them that was also entirely illuminated by them. Though small in scale—the book measures slightly less than 9–1/2 by 7 inches (23.8 x 16.8 cm)—the illustrations are monumental in impact, and its youthful artists succeeded in creating a masterpiece of luminous color, astonishing detail, and enormous appeal.

Belles Heures of Jean of France, Duc of Berry, 1405–1408/9. Herman, Paul, and Jean Limbourg (Franco-Netherlandish, active in France, by 1399–1416). French; Made in Paris. Folio 20r, Angels Carry the Body of St. Catherine to Mount Sinai. Ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum. 9 3/8 x 6 5/8 in. (23.8 x 16.8 cm). The Cloisters Collection, 1954 (54.1.1)

At the heart of a Book of Hours—the most popular genre of privately owned books of prayer in the Middle Ages—is the series of devotions known as the Hours of the Virgin. These include psalms, hymns, canticles, and prayers that were meant to be read during the eight canonical hours of the day. Many Books of Hours were illustrated, a factor that certainly contributed to their popularity. In the Belles Heures, each of the Hours of the Virgin is introduced with a glorious illumination, such as the Annunciation at Matins and the Flight into Egypt at Compline. Although piety may have been a factor for many patrons who commissioned such books, the sheer love of beauty was certainly the motivation for others. Jean de France already owned several Books of Hours when he commissioned the Belles Heures, and its range of illustrated stories was unprecedented.

Belles Heures of Jean of France, Duc of Berry, 1405–1408/9. Herman, Paul, and Jean Limbourg (Franco-Netherlandish, active in France, by 1399–1416). French; Made in Paris. Folio 63r, The Flight into Egypt. Ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum. 9 3/8 x 6 5/8 in. (23.8 x 16.8 cm). The Cloisters Collection, 1954 (54.1.1)

The Belles Heures of Jean de France contains all the typical components of a French Book of Hours along with seven additional highly ornamented and richly illustrated sections. These insertions were the framework within which the Limbourg Brothers marshaled light, color, and realistic detail in the service of storytelling. Created over a three- to four-year period from 1405 to 1408/9, the Belles Heures is composed of 224 folios, or leaves, of the highest-quality vellum (calfskin) so skillfully prepared that each folio is translucent, and the text and decoration on one side can be seen from the reverse. Each page sparkles from the generous application of gold leaf in the border, and an unusually wide range of colors—including the brilliant and valuable ultramarine blue originating from Afghanistan—dazzle the eye.

Prior to the presentation of all the book's illuminated pages at the Metropolitan, a selection of the folios was shown at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

Belles Heures of Jean of France, Duc of Berry, 1405–1408/9. Herman, Paul, and Jean Limbourg (Franco-Netherlandish, active in France, by 1399–1416). French; Made in Paris. Folio 223v, The Duke of Berry on a Journey. Ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum. 9 3/8 x 6 5/8 in. (23.8 x 16.8 cm). The Cloisters Collection, 1954 (54.1.1)

Publications and Related Programs
The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated monograph. Published by the Metropolitan Museum and distributed by Yale University Press, the book is suitable for non-specialists as well as scholars, and is available in the Museum's bookshops and on the Museum's website at www.metmuseum.org/store ($65, hardcover).

The related publication is made possible by the Michel David-Weill Fund.

Belles Heures of Jean of France, Duc of Berry, 1405–1408/9. Herman, Paul, and Jean Limbourg (Franco-Netherlandish, active in France, by 1399–1416). French; Made in Paris. Folio 17v, Saint Catherine of Alexandria's Wounds are Anointed by the Angels. Ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum. 9 3/8 x 6 5/8 in. (23.8 x 16.8 cm). The Cloisters Collection, 1954 (54.1.1)

Belles Heures of Jean of France, Duc of Berry, 1405–1408/9. Herman, Paul, and Jean Limbourg (Franco-Netherlandish, active in France, by 1399–1416). French; Made in Paris. Folio 74v, Procession of Flagellants. Ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum. 9 3/8 x 6 5/8 in. (23.8 x 16.8 cm). The Cloisters Collection, 1954 (54.1.1)

Deux Lê Pho en vente chez Christie's, Impressionist Modern, 10 March 2010. New York

Lê Pho (1907-2001) Les Poppies. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd., 2010.

signed 'Le pho' and signed again in Chinese (lower right), oil on silk laid down on masonite, 36 1/8 x 23 5/8 in. (91.7 x 60 cm.) - Estimate : $6,000 - $8,000

Provenance: Wally Findlay Galleries, Inc., Palm Beach.
Acquired from the above by the present owner, 1964.

Lê Pho (1907-2001) Vase de fleurs. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd., 2010.

signed 'Le pho' and signed again in Chinese (lower right), oil on silk laid down on masonite, 24 x 14 7/8 in. (60.9 x 37.8 cm.) - Estimate : $4,000 - $6,000

Provenance: Wally Findlay Galleries, Inc., Palm Beach.
Acquired from the above by the present owner, 1971.

Christie's. Impressionist Modern. 10 March 2010. New York, Rockefeller Plaza www.christies.com

"Turner et ses peintres" @ Grand Palais

Joseph Mallord William Turner, "La Plage de Calais, à marée basse, des poissardes récoltant des appâts". Huile sur toile, 1830, 73 x 107 cm. © Bury Art Gallery, Museum & Archives, Lancashire / Photo © Tate Photography

PARIS.- Cette exposition est organisée par la Réunion des musées nationaux, le musée du Louvre, Paris, la Tate Britain, Londres et le Musée du Prado, Madrid.
Elle a été présentée à la Tate, Londres du 23 septembre 2009 au 31 janvier 2010. Elle sera ensuite présentée au musée du Prado, Madrid du 22 juin au 19 septembre 2010.

La profonde singularité du peintre de paysages britannique J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851) s’est nourrie de son dialogue avec la peinture tant des maîtres anciens que des ses contemporains tout au long de sa très longue carrière. Ce dialogue, souvent inquiet, pointilleux, volontiers compétitif mais toujours fécond, a nourri le parcours exigeant du peintre. Dès ses débuts, au milieu des années 1790, Turner se montre un aquarelliste particulièrement doué et ambitieux rivalisant avec les plus grands de ses contemporains (dont son ami Thomas Girtin (1775-1802) mais aussi avide de maîtriser la technique picturale en s’inspirant du paysagiste gallois Richard Wilson (1713-1782) et en visitant les premières collections privées britanniques qui, en l’absence de musée, détiennent les œuvres des maîtres anciens que Turner brûle d’égaler.
Tout jeune encore, il fond en larmes devant un tableau de Claude le Lorrain (1600-1682), désespérant de faire aussi bien. Remarqué par ses pairs, il expose très jeune à la Royal Academy et joue volontiers à l’émulation avec ses contemporains tant peintres qu’aquarellistes. Son ambition impérieuse, le pousse à sans cesse étendre le vaste champ de ses connaissances artistiques et de ses champs d’investigation : aquarelles topographiques, marines, paysages classiques, paysages fantastiques, voire scènes de genre ou peintures d’histoires. La variété de ce parcours s’appuie sur la variété des références que cet avide génie sait rassembler.

Joseph Mallord William Turner, "Clair de lune, étude à Millbank", Londres, Tate Britain Britain. Huile sur panneau, 1797, 31,5 x 40,5 cm. © Tate Photography

Appliquant d’abord fidèlement les méthodes de la jeune tradition des aquarellistes anglais, Turner aborde la peinture en suivant avec application l’exemple des paysagistes hollandais rembranesques dans une gamme chromatique sombre et encore restreinte. L’exemple stimulant et déjà classique de son grand devancier Richard Wilson l’engage vers le tournant du siècle à entreprendre des paysages classicisants de plus grande ampleur et de coloris plus soutenu. Il étudie en parallèle, avec déférence et bientôt la volonté d’en découdre, l’art des grands paysagistes actifs en Italie au XVII^e siècle : Salvatore Rosa (1615-1673) et Nicolas Poussin (1596-1665). Loin de pasticher ces grands modèles, Turner bouscule d’un souffle puissant et tempétueux la perfection de leurs harmonieuses compositions en inaugurant presque la magistrale tradition du paysage fantastique britannique avec Le Déluge (1805, Tate) directement inspiré du tableau éponyme de Nicolas Poussin (1664, Louvre).

Joseph Mallord William Turner, "Tempête de neige", Londres, Tate Britain. Huile sur toile, 1842, 91,4 x 121,9 cm. © Tate Photography

L’exposition propose pour leur confrontation, ses quelques tentatives dans le domaine de la peinture d’histoire (Sainte famille de 1803, collection de la Reine, ou Vénus et Adonis vers 1805, collection privée) qui se nourrissent d’un chromatisme plus riche et plus soutenu fécondé par l’étude de Titien (vers 1490-1576) (La Vierge au lapin vers 1530, Louvre) et de Claude. Ses petites peintures de figures rivalisent à la fois avec des maîtres méconnus à l’époque tels Watteau (1684-1721) (Ce que vous voudrez !, 1822, Williamstown, Clark Institute) ou ses rivaux les plus célèbres tels David Wilkie (1785-1841). Le dialogue fructueux avec les paysagistes de la génération suivante, Bonington (1802-1828) (Scène de la côte française avec des pêcheurs de 1826, tate) et Constable (1776-1837) (L’inauguration du pont de Waterloo, 1829, Tate) vont exalter encore la liberté de touche et de ton de Turner (La plage de Calais, 1830, Bury Art Gallery ou Le Bateau échoué vers 1828, Tate). _ Après 1820, la découverte de Venise (Venise vue du porche de la Madone de la Salute, 1835, New York, Metropolitan Museum) et l’approfondissement de l’étude de Claude Lorrain portent les compositions de Turner vers un très grand raffinement chromatique et une maîtrise des compositions à plans multiples et vaporeux (Palestrina Composition, 1828, Tate). L’exposition permettra à ce titre, comme Turner l’avait lui-même souhaité, de confronter un de ses plus complexes chefs d’œuvre, Le Déclin de l’empire carthaginois (1817, Tate) avec deux des visions magnifiques de Claude Lorrain qui l’ont inspirée : Le Port de mer au soleil couchant (Louvre, 1639) et Le Débarquement de Cléopâtre à Tarse (Louvre).

Thomas Girtin, "La maison blanche à Chelsea", Londres, Tate Britain Britain. Aquarelle, 1800, 29,8 x 51,4 cm. © Tate Photography

C’est par la confrontation exigeante et sans arrêt provoquée avec ses peintres de prédilection que Turner a construit son affranchissement, sa sidérante liberté de peindre portée à son apogée dans sa dernière décennie d’activité (Tempête de neige, bateau à vapeur au large d’un port, 1842, Londres, Tate).

L’exposition « Turner et ses peintres » retrace et illustre cette construction de la vision de Turner, riche de rencontres multiples, fortuites ou provoquées, mais toujours opportunes et fécondes, tout au long de sa remarquable carrière. Elle rassemble près de 100 tableaux et œuvres graphiques (études, gravures) provenant de grandes collections britanniques et américaines, des musées du Louvre, du Prado, et de Londres.

Joseph Mallord William Turner, "Ce que vous voudrez !", Williamstown, Massachusetts, États-Unis. Huile sur toile, 48,2 x 52 cm, 1822. © 2009 Sterling & Francine Clark Art institute, all rights reserved

PARIS.- The British landscapist J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851) was highly unusual in that he responded to the works of the old Masters and his contemporaries throughout his lengthy career. This often anxious, pernickety, deliberately competitive but always fertile exchange was an integral part of his work as a painter. Turner emerged in the mid-1790s as a particularly gifted and ambitious watercolourist, rivalling his greatest contemporaries (including his friend Thomas Girton (1775-1802)) but also eager to improve his painting technique by studying the Welsh landscapist Richard Wilson (1713-1782) and visiting private collections. In the absence of museums, the early British collections gave him access to the old masters he sought to equal.

As a young man he was moved to tears by one of Claude Lorrain’s paintings (1600-1682), despairing that he would ever do as well. But his work did not go unnoticed and he exhibited at the Royal Academy at an early age, readily emulating contemporary painters and watercolourists. Driven by a powerful ambition, he broadened his fields of investigation: topographic watercolours, seascapes, classical landscapes, fantastic landscapes, genre scenes and history paintings. This variety reflects the wide range of references he had accumulated.

John Constable, L’Inauguration du pont de Waterloo («Whitehall Stairs, 18 juin 1817 ») Londres, Tate Britain. Huile sur toile, 1832, 130,8 x 218 cm. © Tate Photography

At first he faithfully applied the methods of the budding English watercolour tradition. When he turned to oil painting, he took inspiration from the Dutch landscape painters in the Rembrandt tradition, using a narrow, sombre colour range. The stimulating and already classical example of his great predecessor Richard Wilson led him, towards the turn of the century, to tackle classical landscapes of broader scope and brighter colours. At the same time he studied the art of the great landscape painters working in Italy in the 17th century: Salvatore Rosa (1615-1673) and Nicolas Poussin (1596-1665). Far from producing pastiches of these great models, Turner let powerful, turbulent energy upset the perfection of their harmonious compositions and came close to launching the masterly British tradition of fantastic landscapes with The Deluge (1805, Tate) directly inspired by the painting of the same name by Nicolas Poussin (1664, Louvre). The two canvases will be shown side-by-side in the exhibition. Turner’s few sallies into history painting (The Holy Family, 1803, Queen’s collection, or Venus and Adonis: Adonis departing for the chase circa 1805, private collection) used richer, deeper colours influenced by Titian (circa 1490-1576) (Virgin with a Rabbit circa 1530, Louvre) and Claude Lorrain. His small figure paintings rival with lesser known masters from the period such as Watteau (1684-1721) (What you will!, 1822, Williamstown, Clark Institute) or his most famous rivals such David Wilkie (1785-1841). The fruitful dialogue with the landscape artists of the following generation, Bonington (1802-1828) (French Coast with Fishermen 1826, Tate) and Constable (1776-1837) (The opening of Waterloo Bridge, 1829, Tate) amplified the freedom of Turner’s brushwork and tone (Calais Sands, Low Water, Poissards Collecting Bait, 1830, Bury Art Gallery or Beached Boat circa 1828, Tate). After 1820, his discovery of Venice (Venice from the Porch of the Madonna della Salute, 1835, New York, Metropolitan Museum) and a more intensive study of Claude Lorrain led to more sophisticated colour and a mastery of multiplane, vaporous compositions (Palestrina Composition, 1828, Tate). As Turner himself wished, the exhibition will compare one of his most complex masterpieces, The Decline of the Carthaginian Empire (1817, Tate) with two of Claude Lorrain’s magnificent visions which inspired it: Sunset at sea (Louvre, 1639) and Le Débarquement de Cléopâtre à Tarse (Louvre).

Claude Gellée dit Claude Lorrain, "Port de mer au soleil couchant", Musée du Louvre, Paris. Huile sur toile, 1639, 103 x 135 cm. © Rmn/ Gérard Blot/ Jean Schormans

By deliberately engaging with other painters, Turner developed his dazzling freedom to paint which reached its apogee in the last decade of his career (Snow Storm, Steam-Boat Off a Harbour’s Mouth, 1842, London, Tate).

“Turner and the Masters” is an illustrated demonstration of the way Turner constructed his remarkable vision throughout his long career. It brings together a hundred paintings and graphic works (studies, engravings) from major British and American collections, the Louvre, the Prado and the Tate Britain.

Joseph Mallord William Turner, "Le déclin de l'empire carthaginois", Londres, Tate Britain. Huile sur toile, 1817, 170 x 238,5 cm. © Tate Photography

Giovanni Antonio Canal dit Canaletto, "Le Môle, vu du bassin de San Marco", Musée du Louvre, Paris. Huile sur toile, 47 x 81 cm. © Rmn/ Daniel Arnaudet

Joseph Mallord William Turner, "Le Pont des soupirs, le Palais des Doges et la Douane, Venise : Canaletto peignant", Londres, Tate Britain. Huile sur panneau d’acajou, 1833, 51,1 x 81,6 cm. © Tate Photography