One of several exhibitions throughout the UK celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of J.M.W. Turner, this show in Liverpool focuses on the artist’s influence on the generations that came after him (25 October–22 February 2026). Maggi Hambling’s painting Wall of Water XIII (2012), for example, captures the energy of the tides that crash against the sea wall near her home in Suffolk, and though her style is distinct from Turner’s, the way she makes sea fret seem palpable owes something to Turner’s technique. Works by artists including Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst are interspersed with Turner’s paintings, drawings and prints. But placing 21st-century art alongside Turner’s work is only half the story: the artist is also ‘always contemporary’ in his exploration of the environment, global trade and colonialism – themes that still resonate today.
Find out more from National Museums Liverpool’s website.
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