See Turner's unfinished canvases, among many found in the studio after his death
This selection ranges from across his career, showing how Turner sometimes returned to earlier themes. Subjects include landscapes and figures. Some of the works appear more resolved than others. It is unlikely that Turner considered any of them ready to exhibit. None of the works were shown in public during Turner’s lifetime.
Although Turner occasionally painted outdoors, he usually worked in his studio. Here he could experiment freely, testing out ideas in private. Turner rarely discussed his working practices. His habit of finishing his pictures after they had been hung for exhibition provides a rare insight into his methods. He dazzled onlookers with his last-minute flourishes of paint that transformed his canvases. The paintings shown here never received this final treatment.
Turner worked with a variety of brushes and palette knives. He applied paint in different ways to achieve contrasting effects. He worked quickly, altering his compositions as he painted and often working on several canvases at the same time.