The influence of the great classics on the English Romantic landscape.

This exhibition organised by Tate Britain in collaboration with the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais on at the Prado Museum until September 19, seeks to illustrate the influence the great masters of the Renaissance and Baroque movements including Tiziano, Rubens and Rembrandt had on Turner’s work.

Turner is the link that unites the classical and modern landscapes. Art historians have witnessed how the sky takes centre stage in Turner’s paintings and this obsession with the representation of the firmaments is also later seen in Romanticist and subsequently Impressionist work. But what at first glance can be interpreted as Turner breaking with tradition, is in fact the result of his exhaustive research of the classics.

Rivals

An extremely ambitious and competitive Turner was keen on demonstrating in life that his work was up to par with the great contemporary painters. One of his greatest rivals was Constable, who also established his own style of representing the sky. His constant need of recognition was made evident when he asked the National Gallery to hang his painting next to that of French painter Claudio de Lorena, who he greatly admired. His biographies tell the story of how he broke down in tears the first time he saw his work because he was convinced he would never achieve that kind of perfection. But although Turner obsessively goes back to Claudio’s original model – a very bright light, the sun, in the background and in the centre of the landscape – he adds his own elements such as storms, water and wind, themes which are very characteristic of Romanticism.

Shade and Darkness, The Eve of the Flood and Light and Colour are some of the pieces on display at the Prado Museum which were not included in the other exhibitions in London and Paris, but which are intrinsic parts of this artist’s outstanding career, whose work is not seen that often in Spanish collections.

Info:

Starting: 22/06/2010

Ending: 19/09/2010

Where: Prado Museum

Closed / No performance on: Monday

Ticket sales: www.entradasprado.com

Times: Tuesday to Sunday, 9 am – 8 pm. During July and August, from Tuesday to Saturday, 9 am – 10 pm; Sundays, 9 am – 8 pm

Price: Box Office: €10 (discounted price €5); www.entradasprado.com and 902 10 70 77: €9(discounted price €4,5).

Bus: 9, 10, 14, 19, 27, 34, 37, 45

Metro: Atocha (L1)/ Banco de España (L2)