Tate Britain in London is celebrating the 250th anniversary of JMW Turner, one of Britain’s greatest artists, with a new exhibition space dedicated to showcasing his watercolours and drawings.

JMW Turner, Self-Portrait, c.1799. Image courtesy of Tate.

Born on 23 April 1775, JMW Turner is widely considered to be the most influential British artist of all time. From humble beginnings, he travelled the length and breadth of the country to capture its dramatic scenery, redefining landscape painting in the process. Today he remains a touchstone of British cultural life – the face on the British £20 note – and the painter behind some of the most iconic images of the natural world ever created.

Tate holds the world’s greatest collection of Turner’s paintings. To mark the artist’s 250th birthday, a new room has opened within Tate Britain’s permanent free display of his work. The room showcases some of the artist’s exquisite watercolours and sketches, including the earliest Turner in Tate’s collection, made when he was only 12 years old, as well as a dramatic image of a building on fire, long believed to be the Houses of Parliament but now newly revealed as the Tower of London.

JMW Turner, The Fighting Temeraire, 1838. Image courtesy of The National Gallery, London.

Tate Britain, on the banks of the River Thames in London, is home to the world’s greatest collection of British art. The gallery’s free displays feature over 800 works by over 350 artists, telling an expansive and diverse story which spans from the 1500s to the present day. Tate Britain welcomes over a million visitors each year.

From 30 June 2025 until 31 May 2026, Tate Britain will host a new video installation about Turner’s travels across Europe. The gallery has also published a new introductory video about the artist on the Tate Kids website, and it is collaborating on a major new TV documentary about his art and life. In December, Tate Britain will stage an international conference to share the latest developments in Turner research.

JMW Turner, Windsor Castle from the Great Park, c.1795. © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2024 | Royal Collection Trust.

The year of celebrations will culminate in a major new exhibition opening at Tate Britain on 27 November and running until 12 April 2026. Turner and Constable will explore the rivalry between these two great figures of British art.

Beyond the gallery, Tate is also marking Turner’s birthday with an extensive lending programme. A group of Turner’s watercolours of animals, birds and fish from Tate’s collection can be seen as part of a new exhibition at Turner’s House in Twickenham. Visitors to Turner Contemporary in Kent can currently enjoy the evocative oil painting Waves Breaking on a Lea Shore at Margate, while in Manchester a selection of works on paper have been loaned to the Whitworth’s current exhibition JMW Turner: In Light and Shade.

Tate will soon be lending further Turner works to upcoming exhibitions at Harewood House in Leeds, Petworth House in Sussex, Preston Park Museum in County Durham, and the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle, as well as to major shows across Europe and Asia.

JMW Turner, Kilchurn Castle with the Cruchan Ben Mountains, Noon, 1801. Image courtesy of The Box, Plymouth.

Alex Farquharson, Director of Tate Britain, said: “Turner has been a source of wonder, inspiration and joy for over two centuries. Through new scholarship and research, we are constantly discovering fresh stories to tell about his life and his art. In this very special anniversary year, I’m delighted that Tate is enabling millions of people to experience Turner’s work here at Tate Britain, as well as in other museums and galleries across the UK and the world.”

Janet Redler, Managing Director of Janet Redler Travel, added: “The year of celebrations for the 250th anniversary of JMW Turner, one of the most famous and recognisable British painters, is being led by Tate Britain. Their exciting programme will enable visitors to Britain to enjoy seeing Turner’s works across the country in person, or through innovative videos and a new documentary.”

The permanent display of over 100 works by Turner is open daily at Tate Britain with free admission.

If you or your group would like to visit Tate Britain in 2025 to see the Turner exhibitions as part of a tailor-made tour of London or England, or perhaps as a dedicated art or culture tour, please contact our friendly team today.