Seascape with a Squall Coming Up

Turner had a strong attachment to the landscapes around the Thames since his early childhood. The ever-changing views of sea and river planted the beauty of majestic nature’s rhythm in the boy’s mind.
His early works show that Turner incorporated the classical techniques used by Claude Lorrain and other painters, such as the representation of bright light and air, into the techniques of Realism which are based on close observation. Despite the small piece, this work vividly shows the ability of the painter in this period.
A sense of urgency of an impending storm is represented superbly with the depictions of the dark clouds covering the sky from left to right, the sailboat being tilted by strong winds, the movements of people on board hastily lowering the sail, and the surge of sea bursting out with enormous forces. During this time, Turner left some of his seascape paintings that depict the enormous forces of nature that can easily overwhelm the modest efforts of human beings in a romantic style.