Monday 31 March 2014

Turner and the Sea Article

As Vice Chairman of the National Maritime Museum Art Club I was asked recently to give an art club perspective of the current exhibition "Turner and the Sea". Below is the article in full.

It is no easy task to chart the career of the most important marine painter of his or any generation, but this is a “must see” exhibition for anyone interested in the sea.  It evokes the golden age of marine painting.

As a marine artist and member of the National Maritime Museum Art Club, I feel “Turner and the Sea” at the Museum presents a priceless opportunity to see Turner’s iconic marine work.  In particular, I found it is very exciting to see his unfinished watercolour sketches.  Some have never been exhibited before. Turner produced many such sketches, exploring a thought or a fleeting moment. Often they were not developed further but they give a tantalizing snapshot of his thinking.

Several other things stand out to make this exhibition remarkable.   Perhaps the most surprising is that this is the first major exhibition exclusively of Turner’s marine work.   It largely follows the chronology of Turner’s career with a brief diversion outlining influences as diverse as van der Velde the younger, Claude-Joseph Vernet, Richard Parks Bonington and John Constable. Many ‘A’ list Turner marine paintings are also on display including early narrative beach and fishermen compositions, his numerous storm and tempest paintings including, “Calais Pier” painted in 1803,  “The Shipwreck” painted in 1805 and the highly experimental “Rockets and Blue lights” of 1840,  an impressionist painting, thirty years before the term existed.

Familiar and previously unseen paintings are also there.  The majestic “Trafalgar”, commissioned by George IV, is not my favourite, nor was it in some of his critics’, eyes.  “The Fighting Temeraire was however, voted the Nation’s favourite painting in 2005.  It may be factually incorrect, but it is full of symbolism and part of Great Britain’s artistic DNA.

Bravo to Christine Riding, curator of the show. “Splice the mainbrace”!

Kevin Clarkson, Vice-Chairman National Maritime Museum Art Club

Edited by Ann Whitehead National Maritime Museum Art Club

Thursday 6 March 2014

Jutland

It can't have escaped many people that 2014 is the centenary of the start of World War One. There will be many poignant commemorations to come in the next four years as key events of the war are remembered.

I have been working a few ideas around the Battle of Jutland, the last major battleship fleet action in history. Most of the Royal Navy's 28 battleships were involved.

After a spot of research I chose to create a view from the Flagship HMS Iron Duke as the 4th Battle Squadron opens fire on the German High Sea Fleet Late afternoon 31 May 1916

Opening the Account, 4th Battle Squadron Jutland 1916