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 said, enigmatically, “The Sun is God.” Over the course of his career, Turner created hundreds of watercolors, many of which were purchased by the art collector Henry Vaughan. When Vaughan donated the works to the Royal Scottish Academy, he had one condition: they must only be on view to the public in the month of January, when natural light is at its dimmest. That way they would be preserved. Two hundred years since their creation, the watercolors retain their original vivid color palette. These breathtaking works are now showing in Edinburgh. —Elena Clavarino