Joseph Mallord William Turner was one of the leading British artists of his time, who over the six decades of his career changed the public regard for landscape and watercolor painting. Though he received little formal education, Turner was a prodigiously talented child. He eventually enrolled in the Royal Academy of Art Schools and exhibited his first watercolor there at the age of 15. He also studied in the studio of the architectural draftsman and topographer Thomas Malton. Turner eventually became known as a widely regarded as topographical watercolorist, though he was equally adept in oil and experimented widely with techniques. He received the most acclaim for his depictions of sublime storms and atmospheric, narrative landscapes. Many of his works referenced literature, mythology, and history.