Copyright - Using and referencing Site Content - read the Copyright page - www.jaturnerart.com
BIOGRAPHY James Alfred Turner - Page 2 of 4
A prolific painter, Turner was a master of oil and water-colour. Most
of his works are ‘Oil on Canvas’ or ‘Oil on canvas laid down on
board’. There are a number of paired works done in Oil on circular
tinplate “disks”. He also worked in gouache.
His obituary (The Argus (Melbourne) 16 April 1908 page 7) states …
“Victoria loses an artist who not only understood and appreciated the
beauty of the bush, but could depict faithfully its life and character.
He was, as a rule, content with small canvasses, homely incidents
and quiet aspects of nature. At times he was exceedingly happy in
his landscapes and would often touch a very high if not inspired note.
No man ever painted the realisms of a forest fire and its fighting
better than he, or with more absolute truth. He was a very
conscientious man, painting chiefly to please himself, without any
suspicion of pot-boiling, never allowing work to leave his hands until
he was thoroughly satisfied.”
Local rural and bush life supplied subjects for his paintings which
Table Talk described as being of 'peculiar exactness'. He was
recognized in 1894 as 'our best known painter of incident'.
With the passage of time, two of Turner’s best known and highest
priced works at auction have been his paintings of the horrors of
Australian Bush Fires. He sometimes painted large works such as
'The Homestead Saved' (90 cm by 151 cm) which sold for $82,000 in
1980. The Age (Melbourne). 30 May 1980. Cole-Adams, Peter.
MORE >>
“The Homestead Saved,
An incident of the Great Gippsland
Fire of 1898″ as title, published by
“Globe Engraving Co. Melb”,
“Painted by the late J.A. Turner” and
reproduced “courtesy of Henry F.
Young of Young and Jackson”
“Supplement to THE AUTRALASIAN”
“Reproduced by Osboldstone & Co.
Printers, Melbourne” “Sat 19th Dec
1908″
In 1888 his paintings 'Saved' (not the
painting above) and 'Fighting for
Home' (pictured left) received 3rd
awards of merit in the Melbourne
Centennial (International) Exhibition.
The Age (Melbourne). 7 November
1985 p.19. Maslan, Geoff. Oil painting
by Australia's own Turner sells for
$320 000. Sale of 'Fighting for home'.
| Home | Biography | Picture Menu | Explore Detail | First Works | Prints | Post Cards | Shop | Contact Us | Copyright Usage |