Rain, Steam and Speed - The Great Western Railway painted (1844).

The British Council has a strong recent history in bringing great British art to China. In the last decade it has shown: Henry Moore in 2000-01, Antony Gormley: Asian Field in 2003, and Aftershock, an exhibition selected by Chinese curators which introduced a young generation of British artists, including Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Mark Wallinger, to a Chinese audience in 2006-07.

About Turner

Turner was born in Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, London, England. He entered the Royal Academy of Art schools in 1789, when he was only 14 years old, and was accepted into the academy a year later. Sir Joshua Reynolds, president of the Royal Academy at the time, chaired the panel that admitted him. At first Turner showed a keen interest in architecture but was advised to continue painting by the architect Thomas Hardwick (junior). A watercolour of Turner's was accepted for the Summer Exhibition of 1790 after only one year's study. He exhibited his first oil painting in 1796, Fishermen at Sea, and thereafter exhibited at the academy nearly every year for the rest of his life.

One of his most famous oil paintings is The fighting Temeraire tugged to her last berth to be broken up, painted in 1838, which hangs in the National Gallery, London.

The fighting Temeraire tugged to her last berth to be broken up,painted 1839.