As part of the Turner 250 celebrations, Turner’s Vision at Petworth returns J.M.W. Turner’s luminous studies of the Petworth landscape to their spiritual home for the first time in two decades. Nestled within the opulent rooms of Petworth House and framed by Capability Brown’s poetic parkland, the exhibition draws on treasures from Tate and private collections. Here, visitors can trace Turner’s bold dance with colour, his restless experimentation with light and form, and his enduring bond with patron George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont. It is a rare glimpse into the soul of an artist shaped by place, imagination, and friendship.
Turner’s Vision at Petworth features oil paintings and works on paper on loan from Tate and several private lenders, housed within Petworth House’s dedicated exhibition space in the former Servants Quarters. Visitors can view the exhibition before exploring the impressive collection of twenty Turner oil paintings on permanent display in Petworth House–a magnificent 17thcentury National Trust house with one of the finest art collections in the country–before exploring the Capability Brown landscape and 700-acre deer park which inspired Turner.
We’re excited to show visitors another aspect of the work that Turner produced during his visits to Petworth, from the remarkably expressive sketches and studies that reveal his experimentation as an artist, to the calm grandeur of his finished paintings such as ‘Dewy Morning’ (1810). This exhibition will enrich people’s understanding of a place that played such a significant role in his life.”
Petworth House Curator Dr Emily Knight
J.M.W. Turner (1775–1851) shared a deep and fruitful bond with Petworth House and its sweeping parkland, drawing endless inspiration from the estate’s natural splendour. His works, held in Petworth’s permanent collection, offer a rare and intimate window into life on the estate during his time—a world of light, landscape, and quiet grandeur.
At the heart of this relationship lies a remarkable commission: four final paintings created for the Carved Room, conceived in harmony with its intricate wall panels. Commissioned by George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont, each scene was chosen with care—two visions of Petworth Park, one of Brighton’s Chain Pier, and another capturing the Portsmouth and Arundel Canal—each reflecting the Earl’s progressive spirit and philanthropic ideals.
Gazing through the Carved Room’s windows, the painted park merges with the living landscape beyond, a poetic echo of art imitating life. Thanks to a sensitive restoration in the early 2000s, these works still hang where Turner and the Earl first imagined them, preserved in their original glory for future generations to experience as Turner once did—bathed in the light of Petworth.
Born on 23 April 1775, J.M.W. Turner is widely considered to be one of 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. Turner’s creative genius has left an enduring legacy and his face is even on the £20 note.
Turner’s Vision at Petworth is at Petworth House & Park, West Sussex from 21st June until 16th November 16th, 2025.
