Romantic Forms In Joseph Turner's The Slave Ship

Whereas 18th century artistic forms emphasized organized form, lines, and the triumphs of humanity, the 19th century Romantic form was much less draconian. Romantic painters abandoned strict lines in favor of exploring how color could define forms, and created unstable compositions to infuse their work with an element of theatricality and emotionalism the 18th century had barely touched. Joseph Turner’s The Slave Ship provides a breathtaking example of the shift from line to color in creation of forms. A painting that is clearly anything but a depiction of the triumphs of humanity, this piece has little of geometry or rationality about it. There are few clear lines or shapes; rather, as with the grotesque human bodies that writhe in the sea