William Turner (artist)

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For other persons named William Turner, see William Turner (disambiguation).

William Turner (12 November 1789 – 7 August 1862) was an English painter who specialised watercolour landscape views, strongly rooted in Oxfordshire and the city of Oxford. He was a contemporary of the more famous artist J. M. W. Turner and his style was not dissimilar. He is often known as William Turner of Oxford or just Turner of Oxford to disambiguate him from his more well-known namesake. Many of Turner's paintings depicted the countryside around Oxford. One of his most well-known pictures is a view of the city of Oxford from Hinksey Hill.

In 1895, the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford held a retrospective exhibition of his work. Some of his paintings are still on permanent display at the museum. In 1984, the Oxfordshire County Council presented his work in an exhibition at the Oxfordshire County Museum in Woodstock. His paintings are also held in national and international collections, for example at the Tate Gallery (London, UK), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City, U.S.) and the Dunedin Public Art Gallery (New Zealand).

[edit] Life

Turner was born in Black Bourton, Oxfordshire. He was the eldest child, with two younger sisters. His father died in 1791 so he was brought up by his mother as a young child. In 1803 he moved to live with his uncle, also called Willam Turner, initially in Burford and from 1804 in the manor house at Shipton-on-Cherwell.

Due to his interest in drawing, he joined John Varley in London. In 1807 he had his first exhibition at the Royal Academy. He was elected to be a full member of the Watercolour Society in 1808 and for the rest of his life participated in their exhibitions each year.

In 1810, Turner returned to Oxfordshire, living in Woodstock until 1811 and then in and around Oxford. In 1824 he married Elizabeth Ilott at Shipton and lived at London Road, St Clement's. From 1853 onwards, he lived at 16 St John Street in central Oxford.

Turner died at his home in St John Street, Oxford, in 1862. A blue plaque marks the house where he lived. He is buried at Shipton-on-Cherwell in the churchyard with his wife. In 1896, a memorial chancel screen was installed in the church, which he designed, with a brass plaque reading "Erected in memory of William Turner of Oxford, Water Colour Painter and archiect of this church."