Massive congratulations to one of my favourite actors, Timothy Spall, who has just won the Best Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his portrayal of one of my favourite artists, J M W Turner (c.1775—1851), in the film Mr Turner. I can’t wait to see this film. It’s directed by Mike Leigh, and will be released here in the UK on 31 October, and in the US on 19 December. It looks ravishing:

It’s had some great reviews, including this one in Variety, and this one in Vanity Fair. I could look at Spall’s rumpled, crumpled face for hours: to see him portray Turner is almost too exciting for words!

Some examples of Turner’s towering genius:

‘Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway’, by J M W Turner, 1844.

‘The Fighting Temeraire tugged to her last berth to be broken up’, by J M W Turner, 1838.

‘Wreckers — Coast of Northumberland, with a Steam-Boat Assisting a Ship off Shore’, by J M W Turner, between 1833-4.

and here he is in my neck of the woods:

‘Stonehenge’ by J M W Turner, c. 1827.

‘Fonthill Abbey from the south west’, by J M W Turner, 1799.

I love to think I have walked in Turner’s footsteps!