William Turner (b.1775 London - d.1851 London) | 4166

William Turner was an English painter, watercolourist, author of famous landscapes, and is considered a forerunner of Impressionism. He studied at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Initially painting his compositions with attention to the smallest details, he later abandoned this style in favour of a synthetic representation. Nature in his landscapes is uncontrollable, and he often painted rough seas or fires. Turner was an extremely prolific artist, leaving behind over 550 oil paintings, 2,000 watercolours and 30,000 works on paper.