16th March 10.30am and 2pm, The Abbey Cinema Abbey Close Abingdon OX14 3JD                 

 ‘Tinted S.T.E.A.M.’: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math in the Work of J.M.W. Turner

Turner’s lifetime coincided with an age of scientific discovery and technological advances. This lecture explores the ideas and events which informed his paintings, and the interesting intersection between art and science in nineteenth-century intellectual circles. We will look at Turner’s fascination with the forces shaping the landscape, and examine the way he addressed the complicated, evolving relationship between humans and the natural world, particularly within his images of steam-powered technology in Industrial Revolution Britain. The talk ends with an intriguing question. What would Turner be painting today?

Lectures are about an hour long, but leave time for announcements etc.