2025 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Joseph Mallord William Turner, widely celebrated as Britain's greatest landscape painter.

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Yet, beyond the familiar image of the "painter of light", Turner was a complex figure whose radical art often baffled his contemporaries.

Tom Gatti meets the New Statesman’s art critic, Michael Prodger, to explore why Turner still matters – and how themes in his work like the power of nature, the impact of technology, and national identity resonate profoundly today.

READ: The second birth of JMW Turner, by Michael Prodger

https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/art-design/2025/04/the-second-birth-of-jmw-turner

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Turner at 250: why Britain's most influential artist still matters

Politics from the New Statesman