His participation in the affairs of the Academy were minimal. Turner never showed any real gratitude toward the Academy, as was expected of new members for this high distinction.

The artist, John Constable, having dined next to Turner at the Royal Academy once, commented on his dinner partner...

"I was a good deal entertained with Turner. I always expected to find him what I did. He was uncouth but has a wonderful range of mind."

The French artist, Eugene Delacroix described Turner as...

"Silent, even taciturn, morose at times, close in money matters, shrewd, tasteless, and slovenly in dress".

He had few friends, probably because of his volatile nature, sometimes lashing out at his peers. For those who did not know him, and only knew of his art, described Turner as passionately expressive and deeply dramatic...a true romantic.

Turner always considered his painting of the "Dido Building in Carthage" one of his best works...although it was one of his more traditional pieces, and a far cry from the style of his later paintings.

Haldane Macfall, an art critic, wrote of him in 1920 as...

"All that is vital in modern art was born out of the revelation of Turner".

Turner's first tour of Scotland would be in 1801, where he produced numerous drawings and watercolors from this visit.

The "Treaty of Amiens" was signed in 1802. This temporarily put an end to the Napoleonic war between France and England, and allowed Turner to visit France, and from there to easily travel beyond to Switzerland, and other countries. It would not be until 1819 that he would visit Italy for the first time at the age of 44...crossing into the country via the Mont Cerris Pass.

Turner made over 400 sketches during his visit to France and Switzerland. On his return trip he visited the Louve, and spent time copying and studying techniques of the old masters.

In 1807 Turner was elected "Professor of Perspective" at the Royal Academy, a subject that he would teach at the Academy for many years.

Turner's father died at the age of 85, in 1829. This came as a blow to Turner, as they had been very close. He later stated that it felt like he had lost an only child!

The painting of "Fingal's Cave" (Scotland), was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1832. It later was cited as "one of the most perfect expressions of the romanticism style of art".

Fingal's Cave was the first painting by Turner to go to the United States. It remained unsold for 13 years. James Lenox who bought the piece through a broker, expressed disappointment with his purchase by saying the painting was "indistinct" in its execution. When Turner heard this his famous reply was...

"You should tell him that indistinctness is my forte."

In the 1830's Turner started doing commercial illustrative etchings to be published in the books of various poet's work such as Byron, Rogers, Campbell, among others.

As the mid 30's approached, Turner's paintings began to show a concentration of more color and light effects without regard to traditional principals...showing less structural details, and more experimentation. This to say the least, upset many in the art world at the time. His reputation as a leading artist of the day sustained him through all the slings and arrows of outrage.

Occasionally Turner would return to paint in a more traditional manner...but as time passed his paintings would display, more and more, wild effects of color and light.