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For the first time in almost forty years rarely seen bird studies will form the star attraction of the first exhibition in a generation devoted to animals and birds painted by J.M.W. Turner. Opening on the artist's birthday, in his 250th anniversary year, the exhibition takes place at Sandycombe Lodge, the villa near the Thames that Turner designed and inhabited between 1813 and 1826 in Twickenham, a western suburb of London,

Feathers, fins and fur are not subject matter usually associated with Britain's greatest landscape painter but, as this delightful exhibition reveals, Turner was enchanted by the colours and characters of creatures he encountered during his lifetime. Featuring around fifteen loans from British public collections, Turner's Kingdom: Beauty, Birds and Beasts brings together a menagerie of birds, fish and animals, from domestic pets to wildlife seen in the countryside. Displayed within the intimate, domestic space of his house – now a museum – they uncover a little known, personal side to the notoriously secretive artist.

Exceptional works include watercolours from the 'Farnley Book of Birds', an album of exquisite natural history studies, painted for Turner's patron, Walter Fawkes of Farnley Hall in Yorkshire. On loan from Leeds Museums and Galleries, the selected examples include a barn owl, a goldfinch and a turkey, as well as two species that hold particular relevance to Turner's House: a heron, still a common sight along the Thames to the west of London; and a peacock, a bird pictured within the gardens of Sandycombe Lodge by another artist, William Havell. They bear witness both to Turner's powers of observation and to the closeness of his friendship with Fawkes. Curator, Nicola Moorby comments, 'Even die-hard Turner fans may be surprised by these beautiful bird studies. They are so rarely put on display and it is a huge treat to be able to share them in the unique setting of Turner's own house.'

Accompanying the Leeds works is a lively study from Tate featuring a duck in flight. Evidence that ducks were something of a personal mascot for Turner is provided by a never before exhibited autograph letter loaned by the British Library, signed with a pen and ink cartoon of a flying mallard. This charming in-joke reveals the artist's sense of humour, gently poking fun at his full name – Joseph Mallord William Turner.

A further piece of personal detail is Turner's angling equipment, loaned by the Royal Academy of Arts. Exhibited for the first time in the house, the fishing rod is probably the very one Turner used to catch fish in the nearby Thames, transferring his catches to a purpose-built pond at the bottom of the garden.
Jennifer Francis, Director of Turner's House Museum, comments: 'This exhibition reveals a surprising and personal dimension to Turner's artistry. These rarely seen works, displayed in the home he designed to live in with his father, bring us closer to his world and his remarkable eye for detail. It is a privilege to share these treasures in celebration of Turner's 250th anniversary.'