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. This year, to celebrate the 250th year since the artist’s birth, there is going to be a switch: Vaughan’s watercolors are traveling to the National Gallery of Ireland. Meanwhile, over 30 Turner seascapes, landscapes, and cityscapes will travel from Ireland to Scotland for the first time. —Elena Clavarino