What a poignant story was hidden in the painting "Rain, Steam and Speed" by the English master of landscapes William Turner

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

William Turner was one of the leading British painters of his time, who over the course of 60 years of a creative and rewarding career, changed public opinion about landscapes and watercolors. One of the iconic works - "Rain, Steam and Speed" - in which the artist skillfully depicted a train under a smoky rain curtain, and also hid the actual problem of being.

About the artist - the master of storms and landscapes

Turner Joseph Mallord William (better known as William Turner) was one of the leading British painters of his time who, over 60 years of creative and rewarding career, changed public opinion about landscapes and watercolor painting. From childhood, Turner grew up as an incredibly talented child. Subsequently, he managed to enter the Royal Academy of Arts, where he exhibited his first watercolor at the age of 15. In parallel, he studied at the studio of the architectural draftsman and topographer Thomas Malton. Eventually Turner gained popularity as a watercolor topographer, although he was equally adept at oil and experimented extensively with a variety of other techniques.

He is best known for his masterful depictions of majestic storms, as well as atmospheric and narrative landscapes. Many of his works made references to literature, mythology and history. William Turner became known as the "painter of light" for his delightful palette with vibrant, bold color schemes and seascapes. It is not for nothing that he is considered the favorite English romantic artist. Interestingly, Turner bequeathed most of his artwork to his country.

Rain, steam and speed

In 1844, William Turner painted the oil painting Rain, Steam and Speed, which expresses the majestic peak of the landscape work. The painting is an abstract vision of a locomotive racing across a bridge during a storm. In Turner's painting, rain merges with the steam and smoke generated by the train. There is an impression of fog, which Turner was very fond of portraying. The Thames shines through the fog under the bridge. The black steam locomotive is the only sharp and clear figure in this picture. He rushes to the viewer like an iron fist repelling nature.

Amazing brushstrokes - raindrops - create a smoky curtain over the speeding train heading towards its destination. The translucency of gray and white clouds emphasizes the intensity of the rain, while the distant bridge and the landscape left behind disappear.

History of the painting

Britain changed dramatically in the 19th century as the railways that were created cut a path through fields and rivers to link cities across the country. Britain built railways and supplied trains to many parts of the world. They spewed steam and smoke that filled the air, sometimes with rain and fog, covering the landscape with a curtain of white and brown flowers.

This work depicts the design of the Great Western Railway. The project was owned by one of the private British rail companies set up to develop this new mode of transport. The scene is set on the Maidenhead Railroad Bridge over the Thames. This scene has been interpreted in different ways: demonstrating the concept of speed, the limitations of technology, or the threat that technology poses to nature. A steam train rushes across the bridge, and a whirlwind of rain swirls around it.

A tiny hare, a traditional symbol of speed, is running in front of the train. On either side is a golden landscape, pastoral, sun-drenched and rustic. The painting is impressionistic to the point of impossibility! It is a joyous celebration of new technological power. Critics who saw the original painting were bewildered but also fascinated by the artist's treatment of such a hot topic, especially his dramatic reproduction of speed.

It is known that the Impressionists did not focus on details, but on the general idea of the plot or object, using primary colors and small strokes. The impressionists were especially fond of conveying reflected light. It can be argued that the artist Turner was the first true "impressionist" among the English masters. Turner's undoubted achievement and success was that the work "Rain, Steam and Speed" was exhibited at the Royal Academy of London in 1844. Now she is in the National Gallery.