A visit to The National Maritime Museum at Greenwich to see the special exhibition exploring JMW Turner’s lifelong fascination with the sea and to enjoy a guided tour of this wonderful museum that celebrates Britain’s maritime heritage.
We have arranged this extra visit in response to popular demand following Barry Venning’s stimulating talk in October. It promises to be a highlight of the year. Opening to critical acclaim on November 21st, Turner and the Sea contains some 120 paintings and sketches exploring Turner’s pioneering and often controversial approach in capturing the beauty and power of seascapes, alongside iconic works by other great artists including van de Velde, Vernet, Constable and Gainsborough. Turner lived at a time when Britain’s mastery of the seas was reaching its peak and few would doubt that he was our greatest maritime artist. Many of his greatest sea paintings have been brought together from around the world in this superb exhibition.
To complement the exhibition, we will also have a guided tour of the highlights of the National Maritime Museum itself. Housed in the grand buildings of the former Royal Naval College, the museum was substantially refurbished in 1999 and extended by the new Sammy Ofer wing in 2011. The museum includes a wealth of portraits and paintings and includes such legendary objects as the Drake star and Drake cup given to Sir Francis Drake by Queen Elizabeth I. Our visit will include the Museum’s major new gallery Nelson, Navy, Nation, celebrating British seapower in the 18th century.
We will also have the opportunity to visit The Queen’s House. Next to the museum, the house has its origins in the 17th Century. Originally built for the wife of James I, it now houses a further large proportion of the museum’s extensive collection of maritime art, including pictures from Cook’s voyages in the South Seas.