Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851)

'Light is therefore Colour'

English Romantic painter, a genius of shimmering sunsets and stormy seas. He was born in Covent Garden, London, the son of a barber. Studied at the Royal Academy from the age of 14 and opened a gallery at 29. A recluse and eccentric, who dedicated his life to his art. His last words were "The Sun is God".

"His loose brushwork, vibrant colour palette and imagination portraying the development of the modern world unlike any other artist at the time."

He produced over 550 oil paintings, 2,000 watercolours and 30,000 works on paper. And bequeathed much of his work to the nation, now at the Tate Britain. His innovating spirit lives on through the Turner Prize for visual art.

The Bank of England selected Turner as the face to grace the new polymer £20 note.