Austen and Turner: A Country House Encounter
In 2025, we present an extraordinary exhibition celebrating the 250th anniversaries of the landscape painter JMW Turner (1775-1851) and novelist Jane Austen (1775-1817).
For the very first time, the work of these two legendary artistic figures will be brought together, co-curated by Harewood House Trust and the Centre for Eighteenth Century Studies at the University of York.
In 1775, two icons of British culture were born into an era of huge social change. 250 years later, we celebrate Jane Austen and JMW Turner, uncovering their shared interest in the society and culture of the British country house and its landscape.
We imagine an encounter between these iconic figures, whose innovative works recorded the Regency era. Through Austen’s and Turner’s eyes, the show explores the world of the country house in their time and their impact on how we think about stately homes today.
The exhibition is a significant collaborative exhibition and research project between Harewood House Trust and The Centre for Eighteenth Century Studies at the University of York, with advice and curatorial support from independent curators, Jade Foster and Diane Howse. It was made possible with public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England, and with a grant from the Weston Loan Programme and the Art Fund.