Joseph Mallord William Turner was an English landscape painter known for his expressive use of light, color, and atmosphere. He began sketching and drawing landscapes in 1787 and became an associate of the Royal Academy in 1799 and a full academician in 1802. Turner was heavily influenced by Welsh landscape painter Richard Wilson and developed a more poetic approach to landscape painting. He had a lifelong passion for the sea and ships, perceiving ships as living creatures, and often depicted waves, storms, clouds, and shipwrecks to portray the power of nature and the dangers of the sea.