Turner graced our planet for 76 years, from 1775 to 1851, an unusually long life-span in his age. He was born on April 23, a birthday he shared with Shakespeare and England’s patron saint George. Turner left a magnificent biography - his artistic legacy - over 20,000 drawings, sketches and on-the-run notations, upwards of 600 oils, along with some 800 multiple-originals on paper - his graphic output.

Turner was a multiple-genius - he was not only one of the all-time greats in art - but also a business genius, a self-made millionaire. His career was meteoric - exhibited at London’s Royal Academy at 15, became an associate member at 24 and in 1802, at 27, full member when membership was strictly limited to 40 including sculptors and architects. His career was filled as he put it with “damned hard work” coupled with a persistent striving for perfection. Among friends - delight of the party. Turner also delighted to cross swords with the middlemen who brought his works to the public - a trait shared by Picasso a few generations later.

Such diverse artists like Miro (1893-1983), Henry Moore (1896-1986) and Dali (1904-1989) claimed Turner was their favorite artist - in conversations with the founder of this museum. Others include Rothko (1903-1970), pillar of New York’s abstract expressionists. And then there are the millions of art lovers who flock to the Clore Gallery (in the Tate) - reputedly London’s biggest tourist attraction - who fall in love with Turner after being exposed to a feast of Turners, year after year.