J. M. W. Turner’s manifestations of elemental power—air, wind, water—reached states of abstraction and modernity at a time when classicism was paramount. “Light is therefore color,” Turner once said. He also stated, enigmatically, “The Sun is God.” Turner studied the elements, but he also depicted some of the social developments that would, in future, alter the world’s climate. This exhibition uses his paintings, drawings, and engravings to create a picture of how, environmentally-speaking, we started on the path to where we are today. —Elena Clavarino