Turner: Painting the Sublime, in Dialogue with Contemporary Art

Joseph Mallord William Turner Hurrah! for the Whaler Erebus! Another Fish! (detail)Exhibited 1846 Oil paint on canvas Tate, accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856 [N00546] Photo: Tate

2026-10-24 - 2027-02-21

The National Museum of Western Art in Ueno hosts this extensive retrospective of J.M.W. Turner, the master of British Romanticism known as the “Painter of Light.” The more than 80 works on display, including oil paintings and watercolors, are on loan from the Tate in London, which boasts one of the world’s largest Turner collections. The works, presented here in a loose chronological order, express the sublime in nature by depicting shifting light and atmosphere—sometimes in meticulous detail, sometimes in an abstract manner. A highlight of the exhibition is an attempt to juxtapose Turner’s paintings with contemporary art to foster a new dialogue, exploring how the master’s artistic concerns resonate with the expressions and interests of artists of later generations.

Event Information

Dates and hours: October 24, 2026 – February 21, 2027
9:30 – 17:30 (until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays)
*Last entry 30 minutes before closing
Closed on Mondays (except November 23 & January 11), November 24, December 28 – January 1, and January 12
*The NMWA Collection Galleries will be closed from January 12 through February 21.
Venues: The National Museum of Western Art
7-7 Uenokoen, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Fees: Adults 2,400 yen, college students 1,500 yen, high school students 1,100 yen

Advance tickets
Adults 2,200 yen, college students 1,300 yen, high school students 900 yen

*Admission is free for junior high school students and under.
*Disabled visitors admitted free of charge, with one attendant.
*College students, high school students and disabled visitors must show their relevant student ID, proof of age or disability status document upon entry to the museum.
*Students and faculty members at National Museum of Art Campus Member institutions may view this exhibition on specially priced tickets (Students = 1,300 yen, faculty members = 2,200 yen). These tickets are available at the National Museum of Western Art Ticket Office.
*From November 4 through 19, admission is free for high school and college students. Please present your student ID at the NMWA Ticket Office.
From October 24 through November 8, visitors aged 65 and over can purchase a general admission ticket at a 400 yen discount on the day of their visit by presenting a valid ID at the NMWA Ticket Office.
*You can also view the NMWA Collection Galleries on the same day of viewing this exhibition. Note that the NMWA Collection Galleries will be closed from January 12 through February 21.