Self-Portrait. J.M.W. Turner. c.1799. Oil on canvas. 74.3 x 58.4 cm. Collection: Tate, accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest, in 1856. Accession no. N0458. Image kindly made available for reproduction under the terms of the Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Deed.

This memorable self-portrait shows the young Turner as a raffish bohemian, his face and necktie delineated in expressive strokes.

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Commentary by Simon Cooke, and formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee.


Created 11 December 2025