Art in Context: Swimming with Turner at Yale Center for British Art

The Art in Context series continues with Swimming with Turner, a thought-provoking talk exploring how J. M. W. Turner’s powerful seascapes challenge our ideas of order and our connection to the natural world. Steve Mentz will discuss how Turner’s works—depicting beaches, boats, mist, and waterfalls—engage deeply with water as both subject and substance, suggesting a collaborative relationship between artist and environment.

This discussion will highlight the intersection of Turner’s art and the “blue humanities,” a contemporary field of study focused on the ties between human culture and water in all its forms. Mentz’s perspective is informed by life near—and often in—Long Island Sound, offering a timely reflection on coexistence with water during an era of rising sea levels.

Swimming with Turner will take place on July 15, 2025, from 12:30 to 1:00 pm at the Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT 06510. For more information, visit britishart.yale.edu or call 203-432-2800.