J.M.W. Turner and the ‘Sister Arts’: Poetry and Painting
Throughout his life, the great landscape painter J.M.W. Turner absorbed poetry, from the classics to the work of poets of his own time, and strove to write poetry himself.
Sir John Soane and Turner’s House
This talk explores the close relationship between Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851) and his friend and fellow fisherman, the architect Sir John Soane (1753–1837). It looks specifically at Turner’s design for his suburban retreat at Twickenham and illustrates how Soane’s fascination for classical and Renaissance architecture helped Turner define its appearance and implied associations.
‘This cannibal in three years space three hundred martyrs slew’. Torture and Treason at Fulham Palace
Henry VIII’s split from Rome triggered an unprecedented period of religious turbulence leading to the dissolution of the monasteries. This talk will explain the impact it had on the Bishops of London, whose residence was Fulham Palace.
Bringing Joseph William Mallord Turner back to Sandycombe
Turner’s House has recently been immaculately restored but now the focus is on creating the look and feel of a house in which William Turner is once again ‘present’.
Medieval Estate to Community Garden: Centuries of Food Production at Gunnersbury
Transformed from farmland into a Palladian estate in the 1660s, Georgian owners transformed Gunnersbury again with a new walled garden, fish pond and hothouses, while the 19th century estate raised livestock and produced spectacular fruits. Its early days as a public park saw land used for rearing sheep while today, after a fabulous regeneration, a dedicated volunteer team cares for an orchard and a community garden.