COURSE DESCRIPTION

When he was 14 years old the visionary son of a barber and a butcher’s daughter, J.M.W Turner, wanted to be an architect. His mentors at the Royal Academy of Arts persuaded him to pursue painting instead and the following 60 years saw him revolutionise European painting and produce a staggering 19,000 works. Throughout this time, he remained one of the most innovative and occasionally controversial artists of his time. 

In this course we explore the art and life of Turner, from his early works to the aesthetic and technical innovations that underpinned his art, his deeply held beliefs about the nature of the world and the place of humanity within it, and of course, his magnificent late masterpieces.

Course content

Session 1: Becoming Turner
"My son, sir, is going to be a painter." In this session we look at the early life of the painter, his time at the Royal Academy, the key influences on his art, and his travels abroad.

Session 2: Turner: Romanticism and technique
In this session we take a closer look at Turner’s Romanticism and John Ruskin’s defence of Turner’s sublime. But Turner’s masterpieces are not just the result of a different philosophy – they were painted in a different way from what had come before him, and we look closely at Turner’s technique and use of materials.

Session 3: Turner as the iconic 'modern'
Turner’s groundbreaking works secured him a reputation as one of the finest painters of the century, something that few English artist’s before Turner could claim. In this session we look at the iconic late Turners, along with the ‘missing’ Turners and his legacy.

LECTURER

Dr Nick Gordon is a cultural historian and artist with an encyclopedic knowledge of European and Australian art. His research on the Italian Middle Ages and Renaissance has won numerous academic scholarships and prizes (including a University of Sydney medal in History and a PhD). He has over fifteen years’ experience speaking about history and art history, from ancient to contemporary, to university and adult audiences, and regularly takes small groups to major modern and contemporary art events, including the Venice Biennale and Art Basel.

COURSE STRUCTURE

3 x 1.5 hour sessions. Each session includes a lecture and time for questions and discussion.

COURSE DATES

Mondays 2pm (AEST - Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne time)

12 April 2021 | 19 April 2021 | 26 April 2021

REQUIREMENTS

This course does not require any assumed knowledge, only a willingness to learn and an interest in art. Sessions require access to ZOOM (which is free), a device with a camera (such as a tablet or computer with a webcam), and an internet connection.

BOOKING

Please note that all times are in Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC +10)