Accueil A la Une Como, the lake and William Turner’s light

Como, the lake and William Turner’s light

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31 août , 2026

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William Turner : Il Sol di Venezia verso il mare - Photo by Piero Biasion

If you happen to be in Como, there is an extra reason to stop and let yourself be enchanted: the exhibition “Turner« .

There are places that are not simply visited: they stay with you, becoming part of your memories.

If you happen to be in Como, there is an extra reason to stop and let yourself be enchanted: the exhibition “Turner. L’Incanto del Lago di Como e del Paesaggio italiano ”, on view until September 27 in three fascinating locations in the historic city centre: Pinacoteca Civica, Palazzo del Broletto and Chiesa of San Pietro in Atrio.

William Turner, one of the greatest British painters of the Romantic period and a remarkable forerunner of abstract art, was above all a painter of light.

Looking at his works, you almost have the feeling that the landscape is dissolving, that its contours are losing definition, leaving only light, colour and emotion behind.

His relationship with Lake Como began in 1819, during his first Grand Tour of Italy. Turner returned in 1842 and 1843, during which his connection with the area became even deeper. Here, his exploration of light and colour reached an extraordinary freedom.

The exhibition, curated by Elizabeth Brooke, is the result of a collaboration between the City of Como and Tate London, and takes visitors on a journey through Italy as seen through Turner’s eyes.

At the Pinacoteca Civica , housed in a historic seventeenth-century palace, we find his oil paintings, revealing his deep passion for Italy.

Among the most captivating works are “Il Ramo d’Oro ,” set on the shores of Lago d’Averno (near Naples) and “ Il Sol di Venezia ” where fishing boats seem to emerge from the mist while Venice in the background becomes almost an apparition.

Then, after a short walk, you reach Palazzo Broletto, next to the Cathedral, one of the city’s most iconic historic buildings.

Here, seven watercolours depicting Como and its surroundings are on display, shown in Italy for the first time.

“Il Lago di Como “ with its mountains reflected in the water, and “Como, Tramonto ” where the city, mountains and sky seem to merge in an almost magical light, offer a vision of the landscape that goes far beyond simple representation.

It is a lake that Turner does not merely paint: he interprets it.

An engaging video created by Tate Digital, exploring Turner’s life and career, completes the journey.

And the experience does not end there.

Inside the atmospheric deconsecrated Chiesa of San Pietro in Atrio, we enter the “Feeling Colour” section, dedicated to two contemporary artists from Tate.

Jim Lambie transforms the entire floor of the church with strips of brightly coloured vinyl tape, creating an immersive installation that interacts with the architecture of the space.

In the right-hand nave, David Batchelor presents I Love King’s Cross and King’s Cross Loves Me, sheets of coloured acrylic, rubber and steel become small rectangular stools on wheels, arranged across the floor like pieces of a large abstract painting.

Perhaps this is the greatest fascination of the exhibition: Turner’s colour, born from the light of the Italian landscape, continues to live and engage in dialogue with contemporary art.

And so, when you leave the exhibition, you cannot help but look at Como differently.

The light on the lake, the mountains, the morning mist, the reflections on the water…

For a moment, you can almost imagine Turner standing before that very same view, watercolour in hand, trying to capture something that perhaps cannot truly be held still: the light.

Palais del Broletto et Pinacothèque civique de Côme
Location: Via Armando Diaz, 84, 22100 Como CO, Italia

Texte : Romana Barba
MeetEurope
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