A Moment of History Captured in Turner’s Blazing Painting
Learn about the inspiration for his searing canvas
This exceptional painting shows an uncontrollable fire raging over London City. The reflections of the sky-high flames spread forth on the surface of the River Thames.
It was typical of J. M. W. Turner to paint such a seething, turbulent scene as this. He was always attracted to the untamed and the unleashed.
There is a story that Turner used to tell: that he was once tied to the mast of a ship in a raging storm. He remained bound there as the ship was lifted by the waves and tossed about, and rain lashed down on the deck, in order to experience first-hand the inner ravages of a storm.
The truth of the story has been disputed by historians, yet it gives a flavour of the artist’s appetite: for the extremes of nature and the forbearance of humankind in the face of them.
It’s not surprising to find that, when a great fire took hold of London’s famous Houses of Parliament, Turner quickly made his way to the edge of the River Thames and avidly recorded the scene. The resulting painting would be one of his most memorable.
