J.M.W. Turner at the de Young Museum

J.M.W. Turner : Painting Set Free

Through September 29th 2015

deYoung Museum, San Francisco

Turner self portrait

I have been fortunate enough to visit the Tate Britain  and see Turner's work in person.  There is nothing like standing in front of the painting to get all the nuances of color, shape, texture and feel.
So when I heard that a Turner show was coming to SF, I knew I would be making several trips to the de Young to take in the work.
I went to the members' preview and I fully expected to get annoyed with the crowds and people not paying attention to the work (ie photographing the work and then moving on to photograph the next).  I don't know if it was a better behaved group or because I was in a roomful of Turner paintings that calmed me but it was all civilized.  It felt like an out of the body experience - it was almost like the crowds weren't even there.  I "floated" from one piece to another, taking in the layers of paint, the amazing texture, and the compositions and then floated to the beginning again to repeat.

My first of many visits....

The film "Mr. Turner" by Mike Leigh was masterful, beautifully filmed and revelatory.  I didn't know much about Turner's personal life.  In the end of the film, a wealthy collector attempts to offer Turner a price so large for all of the work, he is confident Turner won't be able to resist.  Turner does so in order to donate the work to the people of Britain.  Wow.
I've seen the film 3 times.