Serotonin, Sunshine and Stellar Art Combine in This New Exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland …
“Turner: The Sun is God” opens on Saturday, 8 October at the National Gallery of Ireland and offers visitors a rare opportunity to see 89 artworks by English landscape artist JMW Turner. The exhibition is organised in co-operation with Tate London and explores Turner’s fascination with the sun, the moon and clouds as well as nature. Visitors will see a superb range of oil paintings filled with dramatic contrasts of light and dark and differing weather conditions – from storms to sun-bathed shorelines.
“Curated in cooperation with Tate, this exhibition highlights the range of sources Turner drew upon, including discoveries in natural science, classical mythology, literature, art, poetry, and technological invention,” explains Niamh McNally, co-curator of the exhibition. “The outstanding landscapes on show, depicting various locations across Britain and continental Europe, reveal Turner’s true mastery of light, colour, and atmosphere. The rich, glowing colours, used throughout his oils and watercolours, promise to mesmerise, and uplift the viewer as they head into the winter months. Whether you’re an art-lover or an interested novice, this exhibition is not one to be missed!”
The exhibition complements the Gallery’s annual January display of Turner watercolours from the Vaughan Bequest, bequeathed by English collector Henry Vaughan in 1900. The artworks in “Turner: The Sun is God” are on display for the first time in Ireland and trace the development of Turner’s compositions from early sketches and exploratory “colour beginnings” to finished watercolours, oil paintings and published prints. These paintings also demonstrate a range of themes from Turner’s artistic career including memory, imagination and synthesis, facing nature, light and atmosphere; darkness is visible; and the sun is god.
Need to Know: “Turner: The Sun God” is on display in the Beit Wing (rooms 6-10) from October 8-February 6 2023. Tickets can be purchased online, starting from €5; www.nationalgallery.ie.
