The Burning of the Houses of Parliament, 1834
Watercolor
Tate, London, Bequeathed by the Artist, 1856

On arriving at the Academy I there learnt the full extent of our loss and the worst fears too true; both Houses of Parliament had been destroyed by fire. Most of the students had witness[ed] the conflagration,..., and they all describe it as being the most grand and imposing sight they ever saw.
Diary entry of Royal Academy student John Green Waller, Friday, October 17, 1834

The burning of the Houses of Parliament occurred on October 16, 1834, and Joseph Mallord William Turner was among the thousands to witness the event. Multiple structures were destroyed throughout the evening and Britain lost a symbol of national history and its seat of government. Turner may have viewed the fire from various locations along the River Thames in London and made rapid pencil drawings in his sketchbook. These three small watercolors were probably made quickly in his studio after the fire and are among a group of nine studies that Turner based on the pencil drawings and his memories of the event. Dramatic changes in light, color, and atmosphere appear in the images and the composition shifts from one watercolor to the next. Turner captures the interplay between fire, water, light, and darkness in his expressive works.