William Turner

Dieppe – The Artists – Turner, William

This page forms part of a series of pages dedicated to the many artists who worked in Dieppe. A full list of all the artists with a link to their works can be found at the bottom of this page.

William (JMW) Turner
William (JMW) Turner

Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775 – 1851) known as William Turner, was an English artist of the Romantic movement. He was a painter, printmaker and a watercolourist. He is known for his expressive colourisations, imaginative landscapes and turbulent, often violent marine paintings.

As a child prodigy he went to art school in London at the age of 14. Although he lived all his live in London, he travelled extensively in Europe, particularly the Normandy area.

Intensely private, eccentric and reclusive, Turner was a controversial figure throughout his career. He did not marry, but fathered two daughters, Eveline (1801–1874) and Georgiana (1811–1843), by his housekeeper Sarah Danby. He became more pessimistic and morose as he got older, especially after the death of his father, after which his outlook deteriorated, his gallery fell into disrepair and neglect, and his art intensified. In 1841 Turner rowed a boat into the Thames so he could not be counted as present at any property.

He lived in squalor and poor health from 1845, and died in London in 1851 aged 76. Turner is buried in Saint Paul’s Cathedral, London.

Click here to read Turner’s full bio on Wikipedia.

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NOTE: A black box like this one, means that there is an explanation text about today’s situation of the painting above it.
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1826 - William Turner - Dieppe from the East
1826 – William Turner – Dieppe from the East
1826 - William Turner - Grand Rue, Dieppe
1826 – William Turner – Grand Rue, Dieppe

TODAY: The Grand Rue is now mostly a pedestrian street, where every Saturday morning, you will find a part of the very big open-air market.

1827 - William Turner - Dieppe, The Port from the Quai Henri-IV
1827 – William Turner – Dieppe, The Port from the Quai Henri-IV

TODAY: The Quai Henri-IV still exists and is the main quai of the pleasure boats harbour. It is also the place where you will find many restaurants.

1830 - William Turner - Church and Chateau near Dieppe
1830 – William Turner – Church and Chateau near Dieppe
1845 - William Turner - Dieppe Castle and the Beach
1845 – William Turner – Dieppe Castle and the Beach

TODAY: The Dieppe castle still stands, perched high on the cliffs, dominating over the city. It can be visited. (click here to read more about it).

1845 - William Turner - Dieppe Lighthouse from the Western Jetty
1845 – William Turner – Dieppe Lighthouse from the Western Jetty

TODAY: The lighthouse has been changed for a more modern one.

1845 - William Turner - Looking down on Dieppe from the East
1845 – William Turner – Looking down on Dieppe from the East
1845 - William Turner - The Chateau at Dieppe from the Beach
1845 – William Turner – The Chateau at Dieppe from the Beach

Arques-la-Bataille

The town of Arques-la-Bataille (population: 2,700) is located close to Dieppe towards the South (inland). It’s a town dominated by the ruins of a major castle.

1824 - William Turner - Chateau d'Arques, near Dieppe
1824 – William Turner – Chateau d’Arques, near Dieppe
1826 - William Turner - Chateau d'Arques, near Dieppe
1826 – William Turner – Chateau d’Arques, near Dieppe
1830 - William Turner - A Ruined Castle near Dieppe
1830 – William Turner – A Ruined Castle near Dieppe

William Turner painted in the following other places in France (but mostly in Normandy), which will be featured eventually on this site. A link “” to those cities will appear below when published.

Dieppe in Normandy was a popular place for artists to come and apply their art. Here is a list, non exhaustive, of the artists that painted in Dieppe.

A link (“⇠”) to the artist’s works will appear when published (a “*” indicates that the artist did not work directly in Dieppe, instead worked in nearby villages):

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Today: Dieppe's Saturday Morning Open-air Market
Today: Dieppe’s Saturday Morning Open-air Market
Today: The Harbour
Today: The Harbour
Today: The Castle
Today: The Castle
The Pier as seen from the sea
The Pier as seen from the sea
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