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Did Turner Really Strap Himself to a Mast?

Reality-checking the famous anecdote

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James Gurney
Aug 07, 2025
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The story that J.M.W. Turner, the renowned British painter, strapped or had himself tied to the mast of a ship during a violent storm is an anecdote he loved to tell. Did it really happen?

It echoes the story of Odysseus sailing near the sirens after being tied to the mast of his ship. This painting is by John William Waterhouse.

According to several acc…

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