The ethereal quality of Venice is largely due to the evanescent light that continuously plays off the gently moving waters of the lagoons and canals. Vistas seem to evaporate and then suddenly reappear. This ever-changing landscape observed under intense sunlight, enveloping haze, or dense fog is precisely what fascinated Turner. The Eastern roots of the architectural landmarks were also compellingly exotic for him.

So many exhibitions and books have been devoted to the art of Joseph Mallord William Turner that it would seem every facet of his career has been investigated. Among the titles devoted to the various locations in which he painted are Turner in the North, Turner in the South, Turner on the Thames, Turner's Holland, and Turner on the Loire. Nonetheless, there are still uncharted waters for scholars of this prolific English artist. Nearly one-third of the paintings Turner executed between 1833 and 1846 grew out of three brief visits to Venice in 1819, 1833, and 1840. The city so preoccupied him that between 1833 and 1846 there were only two years in which he did not submit paintings with Venetian subjects to the annual Royal Academy exhibitions in London. The city also figures in at least one thousand of his pencil sketches and watercolors.

The watercolors made during this visit foreshadow Turner's preoccupation with the colors of the buildings, water, and sky under changing light. The paintings he later created in his London studio reflect the influence of Canaletto's highly regarded views of the city, which had found great favor in England. Turner's second trip to Venice, in 1833, also took place in the autumn. He arrived on September 9 and stayed for about a week. Again he was productive, executing some 200 drawings and a number of watercolors. His paintings based on the studies he made during this trip demonstrate looser brushwork as he moved away from recording details of the scene in front of him. He also experimented with capturing scenes from different vantage points, such as a wide ranging view of the Piazza San Marco painted from above. Turner's last trip to Venice, in 1840, was also his longest.

Turner and Venice was the first major exhibition devoted to JMW Turner’s seminal trips to Venice opened at Tate Britain on 9 October 2004. The exhibition, sponsored by Barclays PLC, spans the twenty years between Turner’s first visit to Venice in 1819 and his last in 1840 and will bring together around fifty-five oil paintings, and over one hundred watercolours, as well as prints, maps and Turner’s Venice sketchbooks.