22/11/2025
In the 250th anniversary year of his birth, devotees of J.M.W. Turner have found themselves spoilt for choice. Numerous exhibitions and events have marked the occasion in Britain and abroad; so many, in fact, as to comprise almost an embarrassment of riches. Amid the wealth of ‘Turner 250’ shows on offer, one of the most thought-provoking was ‘Turner: In Light and Shade’, at the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, which took as its starting point Turner’s print series, the ‘Liber Studiorum’.
The accompanying catalogue represents an attractive visual accompaniment to the Whitworth’s extensive Turner collection, as well as a welcome contribution to scholarship on the artist. Like the show, the book is stylishly designed. Fully illustrated, it includes numerous full-colour bleeds and blown-up details that allow the reader to luxuriate in the beauty and intricacy of the ‘Liber’’s designs.
Read Nicola Moorby’s review of this publication for free in our November issue: https://www.burlington.org.uk/archive/book-review/turner-in-light-and-shade?utm_source=FB&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Nov+25+issue+promo_free+rev
Image: ‘Valley of Chamonix, Switzerland, with Mont Blanc in the distance’, by J.M.W. Turner. 1809. Watercolour and bodycolour on paper, 27.9 by 39.5 cm. (Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester).