New Kimbell Exhibit Highlights J.M.W. Turner's Commentary on Current Events of His Time

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There's nothing new about artists responding to current events through their work. Today's creatives who incorporate symbols like face masks and raised fists are not unlike their predecessors who also used art to critique their respective social and political environments. 

That's why the Kimbell Art Museum's latest special exhibition, "Turner's Modern World," feels like a trip back in time. Opening Sunday, "Turner's Modern World" highlights more than 100 works by British painter J.M.W. Turner, who lived from 1775 – 1851. For Turner, modern life was defined by the French Revolution, political upheaval within the British government, the widespread takeover of steam-powered technology, and other events — all of which he illustrated with intricate detail and bold, dramatic strokes. 

Works on display include "The Battle of Trafalgar, as Seen from the Mizen Starboard Shrouds of the Victory" (1806 – 8), "The Burning of the Houses of the Lords and Commons, October 6, 1834" (c. 1834 – 35), and "Snow Storm – Steam-Boat off a Harbour's Mouth" (exhibited 1842). The works come from the holdings of Tate Britain; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and the Metropolitan Museum of Art among other collections. According to Kimbell Art Museum director Eric M. Lee, "Turner's Modern World" is the first major exhibition of the artist's paintings in North Texas in over a decade.

Kimbell deputy director George T.M. Shackelford curated the exhibit.

"All of these paintings have that intensely Romantic-era emotion," Shackelford says. "They're meant to provoke emotion that we're supposed to feel along with the painter. The drama, the sublime fear, terror — all these emotions are meant to be what we're experiencing when we look at Turner's paintings." 

"Turner's Modern World" runs through Feb. 6, 2022. Ticket information is available here.