Tours: Sunset- Looking Backwards 1826 - 1830

Turner, with his masterful use of watercolor, captures a scene where the setting sun casts a long, nostalgic gaze backward, towards the receding cityscape. The dominant symbol here is the setting sun itself, an age-old motif of endings, reflection, and the passage of time. Across cultures, from ancient Egyptian sun gods to Romantic poetry, the setting sun has been a potent symbol. Notice how Turner positions the sun low in the sky, almost as if it, too, is looking back. This echoes the theme of memory, a psychological phenomenon deeply embedded in our subconscious. The act of looking back evokes feelings of melancholy and contemplation, inviting us to reflect on our own past. The cityscape in the distance, shrouded in a misty haze, represents the fading memories, less distinct but still present. Just as the sun sets and rises again, these symbols remind us of the cyclical nature of existence, forever resurfacing in our collective consciousness.