Queen Mab’s Cave after 1846

Joseph Mallord William Turner made this oil painting, Queen Mab’s Cave, sometime in his career. Turner, in his time, tested the boundaries of the Royal Academy’s expectations for what a landscape painting should be. Turner lived through the Napoleonic Wars, which were transformative for British society. The aristocracy had dominated the art world, setting the standards for acceptable art. But as Britain shifted to an industrial economy, new audiences for art emerged, who wanted to see the values and experiences of common people represented. Turner responded to this shift, creating dramatic paintings that captured the sublime power of nature. This painting takes its theme from Shakespeare, a very popular and accessible reference in British culture. Turner gives us a scene of fairies in a grotto. But the darkness and obscurity of the image leaves the viewer with questions about what they’re seeing. Art historians continue to research Turner’s world and influences by studying social changes, literary sources, and the institutional framework that shaped his art. We can appreciate how his work challenged existing social norms and created new possibilities for artistic expression.