Letting Parliament burn with JMW Turner

I don't know how well known it is across the rest of the world, but this is the time of year when an Englishman's thoughts turn to anarchy and we either celebrate an attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament and all those who sail in her - most especially the King - or it's thwarting, according to taste and whether we're Protestant or Catholic. Take a bow, Guy Fawkes.

Anyway, one night in 1834 and not as anything to do with Bonfire Night, the Houses of Parliament did burn down. Like the last few years, it was a time when politicians were at worst reviled and best held in contempt so huge crowds gathered, getting in the way and cheering as bits collapsed.

Turner was based just up the road so he sallied forth. Some accounts say he gathered together some students, hired a boat and watched the proceedings from the Thames, others that he stuck to the opposite bank of the river. Either way he was drawing and taking notes all night long. That sketchbook lead to these watercolours which in turn lead to some highly finished oils. Apart from the subject, the interesting thing for me is just how far down the road to abstraction he was here, as the subject is just an excuse for new combinations of paint, light, colour and half-defined forms.

As far as I know pretty much all of this set of watercolours and the associated sketchbooks are in the Tate's collection, and there is usually a selection from it in the Clore wing of Tate Britain.