THE IMAGES OF VENICE ARE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTENT ASPECTS OF THE MATURE WORKS OF THE BRITISH PAINTER JOSEFH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER(1775-1851).THOUGH HE SPENT LESS THEN FOUR WEEKS IN THE CITY, HE BUILT A VERY CLOSE ASSOCIASTION WHITH IT, DRAWN PARTLY BY ITS LITERARY AND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION AND THE REPUTATIONOF ITS PAINTERS, AND PARTLY BY ITS OWN UNIQUE BEAUTY.PAINTHINGS OF THE SEA AND THE EFFECTS OF LIGHAT ON WATER HAD ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTENT TO TURNER, SO IT WAS PERHAPS INEVITABLE THAT HE SHOULD FEEL THE ATTRACTION OF ITS CELEBRRATED LIGHATA.

MANY OF THE WORKSON SHOW COME FROM THE ARTIST´S OWN IMMENSE BEQUEST. HOUSED AT TATE BRITAIN IN LONDON. THE EXHIBITION BEGINS BY ESTABLISHING THE ARTISTIC AND LITERARY REFERENCES FROM WHICH TURNER´S

VISION OF VENICE INEVITABLY STEMMED: HIS INTERPRATATION OF PAINTINGS BY TITIAN TINTORETTO AND VERONESE, WHICH REVEAL THE ADMIRATION HE FELT FOR THE GREAT VENETIAN ARTIST:WORKS BY HIS GREAT PREDECESSOR CANALETTO AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES BONINGTONAND MARLOW: AND THE LITERARY INFLUENCES OF SHAKESPEARE AND LORD BYRON WHICH WON VENICE ITS WIDESPREAD POPULARITY.

THE EXHIBITION THEN TURNS INTO A TOUR OF THE CITY AS SEEN THROUGH THE ARTIST´S OWN EYES, WITH HIS HIS PAINTINGS AND WATERCOLOURS ACTING AS A GUIDE. FROM THE PIAZZA SAN MARCO THE VIEWER STROLLS ALONG THE GRAND CANAL AND CROSS THE BAY. THE EXHIBITION INCLUDES A SET OF DELIGHTFUL STUDIES OF THE CITY, DONE FROM THE HOTEL WHERE TURNER WAS STAYING, WHICH CAPTURES THE RADIANT EVENING LIGHT ON THE ROOFTOPS. THE SEQUENCE CULMINATES IN A SERIES OF VIEWS OVER THE LAGOON, IN WHICH

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