Independent Turner Society

The Independent Turner Society is a British non-profit academic and cultural institution dedicated to the study, promotion, and legacy of Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851), the towering figure of British Romantic painting. Edited by the distinguished Turner scholar Dr. Selby Whittingham, the Society maintains a platform devoted to Turner's international place in the arts and actively supports the Committee for the Instatement of Turner's Gallery, championing the long-overdue restoration of the dedicated gallery that Turner himself envisioned as the permanent home for his life's work.

Described by the critic John Ruskin as "the father of modern art," Turner is celebrated for his revolutionary treatment of light, atmosphere, and colour — qualities that profoundly influenced the Impressionist movement and the broader trajectory of modern art. The Independent Turner Society works to deepen scholarly and public understanding of Turner's achievements and their enduring international resonance, through research, documentation, and cultural collaboration across borders.

Within the Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival, the Independent Turner Society served as a co-organising institution for the Third Edition in 2025, under the theme of commemorating the 250th anniversary of Turner's birth. A representative of the Society participated in the festival's international jury, and the event was recognised as one of the largest Turner anniversary commemorations held outside the United Kingdom — a testament to the Society's active role in advancing the global reach of Turner's artistic legacy.