Turner & the Sea at the National Maritime Museum

Opening on 22 November 2013, Turner & the Sea at the National Maritime Museum is the first full-scale examination of J.M.W Turner's lifelong fascination with the sea. Dramatic, contemplative, violent, beautiful, dangerous and sublime - the sea was the perfect subject to showcase Turner's singular talents, and the extraordinary quality of the works gathered together for the exhibition confirms his status as the pre-eminent painter of water.

The Fighting 'Temeraire' (1839), Snow Storm - Steam-Boat off a Harbour's Mouth (1842), Staffa, Fingal's Cave (1832), 'Now for the Painter' (1827), Keelmen Heaving in Coals by Moonlight (1835), Whalers (c.1845) and Calais Pier (1803) will all be shown, alongside works by other major British and European artists, including Willem van de Velde, Claude-Joseph Vernet, Thomas Gainsborough, Nicholas Pocock, John Constable and Richard Parkes Bonington.

Turner & the Sea examines the artist's new and often unexpected response to the prestigious history of European marine painting, as well as the relish with which he competed with other artists of his generation, ultimately leaving them in his wake as he created a unique vision of the overwhelming power of nature.

Visitors to the museum will also be encouraged to access their inner artist with a series of events running from the exhibition opening in to 2014. The programme includes: watercolour, oil painting and printmaking classes; guided walks with the Turner Society and Thames 21; talks exploring everything from lunar luminosity and the science of light to the painstaking conservation work which goes in to protecting our paintings; a Thames photography competition inspired by Turner's images; and a raucous late night in the museum with song, dance, shenanigans and the Shore Leave Crew.

Exhibition information for visitors:

Venue: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

Dates: 22 November 2013 - 21 April 2014

Opening times: every day, 10.00 - 17.00, late opening on Thursdays

Visitor enquiries: 020 8312 6565 / www.rmg.co.uk

Admission: Charges apply, please see www.rmg.co.uk for details