Galerie Mont Snow Storm – Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth – William Turner^ Turner

Snow Storm – Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth by William Turner evokes a scene of maritime agony, depicted with an intensity that is characteristic of British Romanticism. The painting reveals a steamer struggling for survival in the face of a snowstorm, the atmosphere made even more oppressive by the almost monochrome use of white, grey and black. The swirl of snow and wind created by dynamic brushstrokes gives an impression of wild, uncontrollable movement.

Turner uses colour and form to depict not only the physical storm, but also the emotional storm that such circumstances might provoke. The very shape of the steamboat is almost entirely lost in this cacophony of colour. This bold use of abstraction foreshadows future artistic movements such as Impressionism and Expressionism, demonstrating Turner’s ability to transcend the conventions of his time.

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