View of the Petrie Courtyard at the J. M. W. Turner exhibition opening, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY

A few weeks ago, I had the great fortune of being able to attend not one, but two members-only events at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City… and now I’ll bring them to you! These events, an opening and a Saturday morning lecture, were in conjunction with the Met’s newest exhibition, titled simply J. M. W. Turner.

The opening of the Turner exhibit was populated largely by an older crowd than me, but it was a great opportunity to see the exhibit with a relatively small number of people.  The show itself is exhaustive, a seemingly complete monograph on the artist and his many different works — from watercolors to oil sketches to full-blown oil paintings, and represent works from all the various periods of his life.  Simply by walking through the early galleries, you can see exactly where Turner’s art is heading; from the bright red reflection of a shirt on the sea, to the churning waves of a darkly-lit night, the vortexes and aureoles of Turner’s mature work looms. It is a great opportunity to get a glimpse into Turner’s entire career; not just the swirling, near-Impressionistic works he is famous for, but his realistic, haunting early watercolors and pale, ambiguous unfinished last works.

The members-only lecture was packed into the Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium at the Met and I was told it was the first in a while that was standing-room only.  The lecturer was an assistant curator in the 19th Century art department, and she was bubbly and excited about the show and Turner.  She had a great account of the usually-reclusive Turner’s tendency to paint the majority of his works during “varnishing days” (three days before the English Salons, or art showings, when the works were hung but not open to the public).   She threw in a few more fun facts, too, and had a killer ending.

Organized in conjunction with the Tate Britain (whose Turner Bequest makes up a majority of the works shown), the exhibition is likely the last-ever Turner retrospective in this country, so try tomake it to New York this summer to take in this very accessible, beautiful exhibition.  (While you’re there, visit the Pietre Dure show; review forthcoming!)

J. M. W. Turner at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Fifth Avenue at 82nd St., New York City) | Now through September 21, 2008.