Shop art print and framed art The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, 16th October 1834 by Joseph Mallord William Turner

Historical context of The Burning of the House of Lords and Commons, 16 October 1834 by Joseph Mallord William Turner

On the night of 16 October 1834, a fire ravaged the Palace of Westminster in London, the seat of the British Parliament. This major event, caused by the negligence of civil servants, destroys a large part of the building, including the House of Lords. Turner, who witnessed the tragedy at first hand and was at the height of his career, was deeply affected by the apocalyptic spectacle before him. He made several sketches on the spot, capturing the intensity of the blaze and the atmosphere of desolation. These studies would serve as the basis for the creation of two monumental paintings, including The Burning of the House of Lords and Commons, 16 October 1834, now in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This imposing canvas, measuring 92 cm high by 123 cm wide, bears witness to the artist's fascination with the forces of nature and their destructive power.

Joseph Mallord William Turner's The Burning of the House of Lords and Commons: A panoramic vision of the sublime in the midst of chaos

In this iconic 1835 painting, Turner captures this historic event with incredible visual power and dramatic intensity. Set against a night-time backdrop, the artist depicts the fire devouring one of the UK's key institutions.

The painting offers a panoramic view of the scene, embracing the whole disaster. In the foreground, the Thames reflects the flames devouring the palace, creating a striking play of light. A crowd of people has gathered on the riverbank to observe the imposing disaster, and Westminster Bridge, on the right, structures the composition and guides the eye towards the background, where the still-intact towers of Westminster Abbey stand. The sky, ablaze from the fire, plays a dominant role in the painting. The clouds of smoke, swirling and threatening, contrast with the clarity of the moon, a symbol of the persistence of cosmic order in the face of chaos.

At the centre of the composition, the Palace of Westminster is the real protagonist of the painting. Engulfed in flames, it appears ghostly, almost unreal. The architectural details disappear under the assault of the fire, symbolising the fragility of human institutions in the face of the power of the elements. The flames, represented by bright, vibrant splashes of colour, seem to dance and spread with all-consuming energy. This contrast between the blazing flames and the deep night gives the painting an almost apocalyptic character, and evokes both terror and fascination, reflecting the ambivalence of Turner's feelings in the face of this grandiose spectacle.

In this composition, the flames appear gigantic and omnipresent alongside smaller elements, such as boats or figures. This highlights the disproportionate force of the fire in the face of human fragility and vulnerability.

The importance of The Burning of the House of Lords and Commons in the work of J.M.W. Turner

Joseph Mallord William Turner is considered to be one of the greatest British landscape painters of the 19th century. His artistic style, marked by great expressiveness and a taste for dramatic compositions, influenced generations of artists who followed him.

The Burning of the House of Lords and Commons stands today as one of J.M.W. Turner's most iconic works and has continued to intrigue and amaze contemporaries, art historians and modern audiences alike. This captivating depiction of a tragic event enabled the British painter to leave an indelible mark on the history of art, confirming his place among the masters of European Romanticism.

The House of Lords and Commons Fire: A turning point in J.M.W. Turner's artistic career

This painting also represents a key moment in the artist's career. From the 1830s onwards, Turner's work became increasingly abstract and bold, with a predilection for maritime and atmospheric scenes. The chromatic palette then moved away from realistic, down-to-earth tones towards brighter, deeper and more emotional hues. This painting thus perfectly embodies Turner's stylistic evolution, marking his move from a classical neoclassical style to an avant-garde pictorial language and precursor of Impressionism.

The choice to paint this fire testifies to his membership of the Romantic movement, which valued the expression of passions, intimate experiences and natural disasters. The intense emotion released in this work, as much by the vivid, contrasting colours as by the swirling, tumultuous forms, corresponds perfectly to the aesthetic sought by the Romantic artists of his time.

This artwork is a painting from the classical period. It belongs to the romanticism style.

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