The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, 16 October 1834 1835

Painted by J.M.W. Turner, this canvas captures the spectacle of the 1834 fire at the Houses of Parliament in London. The immediate impression is of a sublime chaos, an interplay between the destruction of the fire and the indifferent beauty of the natural world. Turner uses light and color to convey the intensity of the event. The fiery oranges and yellows of the blaze contrast with the cool blues and grays of the sky and water, creating a dramatic visual tension. The swirling brushstrokes and blurred forms contribute to a sense of dynamism, as if the fire is an elemental force consuming the symbols of British governance. Through this, Turner destabilizes any fixed sense of order. The burning Houses of Parliament represent not just a physical event but perhaps a deeper questioning of institutional power and permanence. The reflection of the fire in the Thames doubles the destruction, suggesting that the implications of such an event extend beyond the immediate scene, rippling outwards into society itself. We are left contemplating the transient nature of human constructions against the enduring backdrop of the natural world.