This weekend brought me back to the Peabody Essex Museum to view the special exhibit, Turner & the Sea, which runs through September 1^st. If you find yourself in Salem, MA looking to move beyond the kitschy occult you will want to stop in the P.E.M. for this summer show which perfectly complements this city’s rich maritime history. Turner includes a wide range of paintings depicting landscapes both merchant and military in oil, water color, and sketches and has samplings not only from the eponymous master but several other notable artists as well.

J.M.W. Turner’s The Battle of Trafalgar 21 October 1805 is monumental in scale and boasts a perspective akin to an IMAX virtual reality while one is standing in front of it. For this reason alone this painting must be experienced in person so that one can appreciate the immersive effect that draws you in as if you have just survived the legendary battle and are caught up in a swirl of bloodied humanity and chilling waves. In clear contrast to the Nicholas Pocock paintings nearby that show the beginning and end of the “action” with a distant omniscience, Turner’s rendering in medias res brings the heart of the conflict to life. As England would expect, Turner has done his duty and so has the P.E.M. by bringing this fantastic exhibit to Salem.

For more information on this adventure check out the museum website.

Also: given that almost everyone who visits Salem asks about “witches” I thought it worth noting that the twenty victims of the 1692 trials all perished between June and September, and a memorial courtyard lies just behind the museum. If you do make the trip to see Turner, be sure to stop by this site before getting drawn into the many sideshows that dot the city.