British Artist Turner Captured the 'Planet's Turning Point' in His Paintings

Shields, on the River Tyne, 1823 (TATE)
Shields, on the River Tyne, 1823 (TATE)
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British Artist Turner Captured the 'Planet's Turning Point' in His Paintings

Shields, on the River Tyne, 1823 (TATE)
Shields, on the River Tyne, 1823 (TATE)

A new exhibition is to examine how British artist JMW Turner unknowingly captured the permanent impact people were having on the environment in his paintings.

A World of Care will see the landscape painter's works presented alongside modern examples of environmental issues to show how he captured changes to his world that would alter the climate forever, BBC reported.

Explaining the display, curator Dr Thomas Ardill said in creating his landscapes, Turner had unwittingly been "recording the early stages of climate and ecological breakdown as he travelled across Britain and Europe".

The exhibition at Turner's House, the painter's former retreat in Twickenham, south-west London, opens on 6 July.

Joseph Mallord William Turner was born in London in 1775 and became what many consider to be one of Britain's greatest Romantic artists.

Known as "the painter of light", he created landscapes and seascapes that often reflected changes to the landscape and atmosphere caused by human activity, particularly as a result of the industrial revolution.

"Turner painted the turning point in our planet's modern history," argues TV presenter and conservationist Chris Packham.

"His ‘Rain, Steam and Speed’ sees a smoking locomotive at the vanguard of the industrial revolution, howling out of the fug.

"His sunsets are vivid, his skies torrid - he captures the cusp of change."

According to BBC, the exhibition will see works like Sunset, London from Greenwich, and Shields, on the River Tyne, go on display.

The World of Care exhibition runs from from 6 July to 27 October.



NASA's Stuck Astronaut Steps Out on a Spacewalk after 7 Months in Orbit

FILE PHOTO: The NASA logo is seen at Kennedy Space Center ahead of the NASA/SpaceX launch of a commercial crew mission to the International Space Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US, April 16, 2021. REUTERS/Joe Skipper/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The NASA logo is seen at Kennedy Space Center ahead of the NASA/SpaceX launch of a commercial crew mission to the International Space Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US, April 16, 2021. REUTERS/Joe Skipper/File Photo
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NASA's Stuck Astronaut Steps Out on a Spacewalk after 7 Months in Orbit

FILE PHOTO: The NASA logo is seen at Kennedy Space Center ahead of the NASA/SpaceX launch of a commercial crew mission to the International Space Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US, April 16, 2021. REUTERS/Joe Skipper/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The NASA logo is seen at Kennedy Space Center ahead of the NASA/SpaceX launch of a commercial crew mission to the International Space Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US, April 16, 2021. REUTERS/Joe Skipper/File Photo

One of NASA’s two stuck astronauts got a much welcomed change of scenery Thursday, stepping out on her first spacewalk since arriving at the International Space Station more than seven months ago.

Suni Williams, the station's commander, had to tackle some overdue outdoor repair work alongside NASA's Nick Hague. They emerged as the orbiting lab sailed 260 miles (420 kilometers) above Turkmenistan, The AP reported.

“I'm coming out,” Williams radioed.

Plans called for Williams to float back out next week with Butch Wilmore. Williams and Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s new Starliner capsule last June on what should have been a weeklong test flight.

But Starliner trouble dragged out their return, and NASA ordered the capsule to come back empty. Then SpaceX delayed the launch of their replacements, meaning the two won’t be home until late March or early April — ten months after launching.

It was the first spacewalk by NASA astronauts since an aborted one last summer. U.S. spacewalks were put on hold after water leaked into the airlock from the cooling loop for an astronaut's suit. NASA said the problem has been fixed.

This was the eighth spacewalk for Williams, who has lived on the space station before.