JMW Turner Independent Society

23/08/2026

The first Artist's Museum - and more -
https://www.museocanova.it/museo/il-complesso/?fbclid=IwY2xjawT39jhwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMVN4cUhSWmRwZ1BOclVFSlFzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe8Em1j0SxuD_ehSY62ytXFKFlKoshXryP62HuFuK7AHFRqbcuDIdngIqcesY_aem_zSS_GFRA_XbxE_I5xKijww

Il Museo Gypsotheca Antonio Canova di Possagno è il luogo che custodisce l’eredità storica ed artistica di Antonio Canova.

23/08/2026

The September/October issue of The Jackdaw is out. It has 4 pieces about Turner. The editor would welcome responses. www.thejackdaw.co.uk

25/07/2026

There seems a simple way to tell that the celebrated image was painted from a mirror, not by another artist

25/07/2026

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/art/artists/mystery-turner-self-portrait/

There seems a simple way to tell that the celebrated image was painted from a mirror, not by another artist

23/06/2026

Did Constable really fume?

Helvoetsluys Ships Going out to Sea 1832 by J.M.W. Turner. In an airy and light-filled seascape featuring sailships at sea, the eye is drawn to a red buoy in the foreground.
(Image credit: Alamy)
Before the Summer Exhibition opened at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, artists were given time to retouch and varnish their paintings. When J. M. W. Turner saw his breezy seascape Helvoetsluys hung next to John Constable’s The Opening of Waterloo Bridge, he was worried: his pale boats leaving the harbour did not have the punch of Constable’s river scene, full of red flags and pageantry. He took out his paintbrush and added a vibrant red buoy to the foreground. Constable’s reaction? ‘He has been here and fired a gun,’ he fumed.

21/06/2026

Image of Mauritshuis wins claim vs. Abraham Bredius heirs
Picture: dutchnews.nl

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

I'm rather late to news that the Mauritshuis in The Hague have managed to have a claim by the heirs of Abraham Bredius thrown out of court in regards to a group of 25 paintings gifted by the former museum director in the early 20th century.

The Bredius heirs started legal action against the Dutch government detailed here:

The dispute revolved around a single sentence in Bredius’ will, which was written in French at his home in Monaco, in which he said the Mauritshuis could retain the works on condition that they were not loaned out.

The document said the works “devront rester exposés exclusivement dans ledit Musée”. Both sides hired Paris-educated lawyers who disagreed on the precise meaning of the words. [...]

The family argued that “rester exposés” meant the paintings were required to be displayed permanently. But according to the government’s interpretation, Bredius said the Mauritshuis had an exclusive right to exhibit the works, but was not compelled to do so.

The district court in The Hague said there was “some room for uncertainty” in the translation of Bredius’s will, but it did not represent an “absolute obligation to exhibit” the paintings.

22/05/2026

https://www.latribunedelart.com/article13529

Voilà d'abord une exposition qui se parcourt avec plaisir de salle en salle, au fil de la belle amitié artistique née dans les ruines de Rome où dessinaient les jeunes artistes français envoyés par…

22/05/2026

I hope to give my own explanation of this question (having pondered it for some years) when I get the time to do so.
Turner's House
8h
·
Finished… or unfinished?
Step inside Turner’s House and discover the fascinating story behind one of J.M.W. Turner’s most mysterious paintings.
Unfinished Business: The Mystery of Margate and Turner’s Bequest explores the extraordinary legacy of Turner’s will, the vast collection of artworks he left to the nation, and how his overlooked paintings helped change the way the world understood his genius.
At the heart of the exhibition is Margate(?), from the Sea (1835–40), on loan from the National Gallery. Once dismissed as “unfinished” and hidden away for decades, the painting later became celebrated for its dreamlike atmosphere and striking modernity, inspiring Impressionists such as Claude Monet, and artists worldwide.
✨ Discover the story behind the Turner Bequest — the largest art donation ever made to Britain
✨ Explore how Turner’s radical style reshaped art history
✨ Experience it all inside the house Turner designed himself
Come and decide for yourself: masterpiece or unfinished mystery?
📍 Turner’s House, Twickenham
📅 23 April – 25 October 2026
🎟️ Tickets available now from £12 , with guided tours and late nights available.
Curated by Alan Crookham, Chief Librarian and Archivist , this special exhibition is a collaboration between the National Gallery and Turner’s House.
With special thanks to StoneRoweBrewer and Artscapades for their support.

29/04/2026

Turner and other booklets from Amazon.

Online shopping from a great selection at Books Store.