Known for its massive collection and “pay by donation” admission, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) brings the work of Joseph Mallord William (J.M.W.) Turner to its cultured walls. The exhibition presents about 140 paintings and watercolors, and is the first rememberance of his work in the United States in more than forty years. The collection ranges from seascapes and topographical views, to historical subjects and his imagination. The works that really captivated me were the ones that featured the sea or ships at sea. They weren’t merely views of water, or just ships afloat, but Turner portrayed a more somber theme. According to the footnotes at The Met, these imageries “served as a metaphor for human vulnerability before the forces of nature.” These aquatic pieces really showed how powerless humans are to the rage of their environment—especially in liquid form.
Turner’s seascape titled “The Shipwreck” (1805) was the first to entice me. With its grey skies, and treacherous waves, this painting makes you feel as if surviving is not an option. The dark sea decorated with froth looks like a predator foaming at the mouth in anticipation of its feast. Turner does an incredible job with the space of his canvas. He shows a massive amount of water so as to make the ships appear small and vulnerable, and in turn making the people in them look completely defenseless.
“Fall of Rhine” (1806) also emanates the same feelings of danger and hopelessness. In this piece, the presence of water was especially unpleasant. I say “especially” because the subjects were not on ships but on land, so this attack of the sea was a surprise. Turner greatly depicts the shock and fear on the faces of the figures. The alarmed expressions make us feel a jolt of panic, which is followed by pity because we already know what the outcome would be if this painting was to continue its story. The foreground figures have no way of escaping, and once again fall vulnerable to nature’s attack.
Though the last two paintings showed literal examples of nature’s rage, the “Fisherman at Sea” (1796) piece portrays more of an implication. When we first look at the painting we get this false sense of calm. Though there are waves, they don’t seem too threatening and look more like they’re gently rocking the boats. What attracts attention in this scene is the incredible lighting—our eyes are drawn to the moon that’s looking down at the fishermen. As we take notice of the clouds, we see how they’re drawing towards the moon and making it look more like an evil eye. Their dark grey color may imply that a storm is coming, and the moon’s watchfulness serves as a malicious taunt. It’s the calm before the storm; but it’s not a warning to run for shelter, and more of a preparation for the inescapable forces of the perilous sea.
At one point in Turner’s life, critics called his work “the fruits of a diseased eye and a reckless hand.” That couldn’t be farther from the truth as his work has strong themes, and onlookers become so involved that they feel for the scene as if in it themselves. With the hurricanes that have hit the U.S. recently, we can definitely understand the truth behind his theme of human vulnerability against nature. Our environment never seizes to remind us that even a species as strong as ours falls weak to an even greater power.