A World of Care: Turner and the Environment

Running from 6 July to 27 October 2024, the exhibition brought together a selection of
Turner’s works on loan from Tate, exploring themes including pollution, industry and
the power of nature. Turner was born in the age of sail and died in the age of steam,
witnessing the dramatic transformation brought about by the Industrial Revolution. The
title A World of Care draws on Turner’s own words when he described a ‘murky veil’ of
smoke covering London.

Through Turner’s paintings, the exhibition invited visitors to consider the relationship
between art, nature and the environment, while reflecting on how the changes captured
in his work continue to resonate today.

The exhibition combined ecological interpretations of Turner’s work with practical ideas
for living more sustainably. Turner’s House worked with Richmond and Twickenham
Friends of the Earth to explore ways of responding to the eight environmental issues
highlighted in the exhibition.

As curator Tom Ardill noted, the exhibition was not simply about ‘doom and gloom’, but
also about the beauty found in Turner’s work and the reasons for caring for the world
around us. A World of Care offered a timely perspective on Turner’s work, revealing
how his observations of a rapidly changing world can still encourage us to reflect on our
relationship with the environment today.