William Turner is one of the most important English painters of the Romantic Movement. He was unique in placing great significance on the atmospheric content of his portrayals. In his later works his subjects virtually dissolve into spaces defined by color. No one before Turner had placed such an intrinsic value on light and color, thus anticipating an aspect of modern painting. The unique film documents the life and work of the artist in his various phases; from his humble origin in the narrow alleys of London, to the triumphs of an artist who succeeded in becoming a professor of the Royal Academy. This informative and entertaining program also showcases Turner's many journeys: he was traveling almost incessantly his entire life. Of great importance for his artistic development was the then obligatory tour of Italy. Who was this painter, whose later pictures developed an artistic freedom which increasingly liberated itself from the prevailing style? This program seeks answers to this question at original sites in London, Venice and Rome and tries to portray the psychological suspense of an art which, in its radicalism, was far ahead of its time.