Joseph Turner
J M W Turner, “the painter of light,” (not Kinkade), had solidly middle-class parents; his father was a wigmaker and barber, his mother’s family were butchers. He bounced back and forth between his parents and his uncle, drawing, all throughout his childhood. His principal interest at the time was architectural drawings. He apprenticed to a topographical daughtsman, Thomas Malton, when he was 14, and showed his first watercolor when he was 15. At 20, he exhibited “Fishermen at Sea,” which made his reputation.
As a young adult, he toured Europe, returning frequently to Venice. In England, he was financially independent so he had some leeway for experimenting. His paintings became more impressionistic, though instead of trying to capture light, he was trying to depict the spirituality of the world.
Turner’s father lived with him and became his studio assistant. Turner probably had two daughters with one lover, and died in the house of another lover, saying, “The sun is God.”
As a young adult, he toured Europe, returning frequently to Venice. In England, he was financially independent so he had some leeway for experimenting. His paintings became more impressionistic, though instead of trying to capture light, he was trying to depict the spirituality of the world.
Turner’s father lived with him and became his studio assistant. Turner probably had two daughters with one lover, and died in the house of another lover, saying, “The sun is God.”
Rain, Steam, and Speed
As is usual with Turner, the title of this work begins with the natural elements.
Knowing as we do now, that Turner's century would be followed by one in which representation was no longer mandatory, I'm tempted to see this painting as a precursor to modern art. The dashes of color, the indistinct details, the sense of motion taking precedence over a catalogue of local items, all speak to our contemporary understanding of art.
But if art had not dissolved as it did, Turner's painting could be seen as solidly within the representational school of art. The glowing bridge and city on the left, the rain-damp tracks at center and on the right, the sun-drenched rainclouds above, we've all seen days like that. Somehow, this is a photographic abstract painting. A masterpiece.
Knowing as we do now, that Turner's century would be followed by one in which representation was no longer mandatory, I'm tempted to see this painting as a precursor to modern art. The dashes of color, the indistinct details, the sense of motion taking precedence over a catalogue of local items, all speak to our contemporary understanding of art.
But if art had not dissolved as it did, Turner's painting could be seen as solidly within the representational school of art. The glowing bridge and city on the left, the rain-damp tracks at center and on the right, the sun-drenched rainclouds above, we've all seen days like that. Somehow, this is a photographic abstract painting. A masterpiece.
Keelmen Heaving Coal
The watery look of this painting might also be attempted with watercolor glazes (see lesson below).
Turner Lesson: One-Point Perspective
Lesson Title: Turner and Perspective
Grade: K - 9 self-contained classroom
Key Vocabulary: Architectural Drawing, perspective, vanishing point, horizon line.
Visuals/Resources: Books on perspective from school library, websites on perspective
Connections to Prior Knowledge: Recall roads, railway tracks, telephone poles, all illustrating one-point perspective.
Content Objectives: 1. Understand flat vs. perspective art, 2. be able to reproduce one-point perspective from exemplars, and 3. create a perspective drawing.
Meaningful Activities: 1. Mini lesson on Turner's "Rain, Steam, and Speed." Use classroom walls, ceilings, and countertops to illustrate perspective. Hold up two pencils to see how lines go up from below the horizon line, and down from above it.
2. 15-minute stations: cubes, buildings, interior scapes. Magazine pictures of rooms to copy.
3. 30-minute masterwork session: draw a perspective drawing.
Supplies: Teacher-made exemplars.
Review/Assessment: Art journal
Language Objective: Use appropriate vocabulary when sharing journal.
Grade: K - 9 self-contained classroom
Key Vocabulary: Architectural Drawing, perspective, vanishing point, horizon line.
Visuals/Resources: Books on perspective from school library, websites on perspective
Connections to Prior Knowledge: Recall roads, railway tracks, telephone poles, all illustrating one-point perspective.
Content Objectives: 1. Understand flat vs. perspective art, 2. be able to reproduce one-point perspective from exemplars, and 3. create a perspective drawing.
Meaningful Activities: 1. Mini lesson on Turner's "Rain, Steam, and Speed." Use classroom walls, ceilings, and countertops to illustrate perspective. Hold up two pencils to see how lines go up from below the horizon line, and down from above it.
2. 15-minute stations: cubes, buildings, interior scapes. Magazine pictures of rooms to copy.
3. 30-minute masterwork session: draw a perspective drawing.
Supplies: Teacher-made exemplars.
Review/Assessment: Art journal
Language Objective: Use appropriate vocabulary when sharing journal.
Turner Lesson: Watercolor Glazes and Washes
Lesson Title: Turner and Glazes (I'm not even sure if Turner's effects were made by glazing, but it looks like you could do something similar with glazing.)
Grade: K - 9 self-contained classroom
Key Vocabulary: Wash, glaze, transparent, semi-transparent, goache, opaque
Visuals/Resources: Turner's landscape paintings
Connections to Prior Knowledge: For Día de los Muertes, we did tissue paper collages. The layers of tissue are like a watercolor glaze.
Content Objectives: 1. Understand the difference between opaque and transparent watercolors,
2. make several glazing samples using different watercolors
3. create a watercolor using glazes.
Meaningful Activities: 1. Mini lesson on Turner's "Keelmen Heaving Coal." Demonstration of watercolor wash.
2. 15-minute stations: Make checkerboard samplers in cool, warm, and complementary colors. Make washes.
3. 30-minute masterwork session: paint something using glazes and/or washes.
Supplies: Teacher-made exemplars.
Review/Assessment: Art journal
Language Objective: Use appropriate vocabulary when sharing journal.
Grade: K - 9 self-contained classroom
Key Vocabulary: Wash, glaze, transparent, semi-transparent, goache, opaque
Visuals/Resources: Turner's landscape paintings
Connections to Prior Knowledge: For Día de los Muertes, we did tissue paper collages. The layers of tissue are like a watercolor glaze.
Content Objectives: 1. Understand the difference between opaque and transparent watercolors,
2. make several glazing samples using different watercolors
3. create a watercolor using glazes.
Meaningful Activities: 1. Mini lesson on Turner's "Keelmen Heaving Coal." Demonstration of watercolor wash.
2. 15-minute stations: Make checkerboard samplers in cool, warm, and complementary colors. Make washes.
3. 30-minute masterwork session: paint something using glazes and/or washes.
Supplies: Teacher-made exemplars.
Review/Assessment: Art journal
Language Objective: Use appropriate vocabulary when sharing journal.