Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775 – 1851), an English romantic landscape painter, watercolourist and printmaker, painted “Fort Vimieux”, oil on canvas (106.7 x 71.1 cm), in 1831 which is regarded as one of his finest oil painting. The artist was generally known as ‘the painter of light’ and his work has been regarded as a romantic prelude to Impressionism.

This canvas with extremely spectacular atmosphere, vivid colours and skilful handling of light brings to mind his other seascape masterpieces.

Turner has constantly shown his instinctive understanding of the sea as an inhabitant of the British Isles and as an avid seafarer. “Fort Vimieux” is among the group of paintings in which the artist recorded the British struggle against the French in Napoleonic Wars, and even made a special trip to sketch the ship. The painting is in a private collection. — M.I.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine October 11th , 2015

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