Many people will recognise the name JMW Turner but how many would know that at the same time there was another Turner. #WillianTurnerofOxford or TurnerofOxford as he is and was known so as to distinguish himself from JMW Turner.

Born William Turner (1789-1862) at Black Bourton in Oxfordshire, he was sent to live with his wealthy land owning uncle, William Turner, at the age of 14. The estate was a place to which he returned often to paint and gain inspiration.At the young age of 15, he was sent to study under #JohnVarley in London. At that time, Williams’ fellow students under Varley were William Henry Hunt and John Linnell.

William was admitted into the Society of Painters in Watercolour in 1808 and was it’s youngest member. From this highly successful beginning, it was felt that Turner began to declined in status when he moved to Oxford where he was the only artist of any major distinction for nearly 50 years.

Turner persevered as a painter and instructor and his own works are focused on landscapes. His paintings are images of real places. Places where mankind had had little effect or intrusion on. Unlike JMW, William captured serenity, peace, solitude and calm. He loved to paint clouds and many of his landscapes include vast area of sky with majestic or billowing clouds.

The painting shown, I believe was painted around 1808-1810 most likely in #WychwoodForest near Shipton-on-Cherwell where his uncle lived.