Ploughing Up Turnips Summary

During the late 18th to early 19th century, systematic oppression by monarchial figures in Europe have led to devastating cultural revolutions, which resulted in the upheaval of government and dismemberment social classes. Although never transpiring, throughout the Napoleonic wars, England faced radical uprisings due to the implementation of socialized farming practices. Correlating with the modern agriculture system, an abundant of artistic depictions of agrarian subjects idealized the impoverished laborers as satisfied and complacent. However, the movement of enclosure, or privatized farming, led the lower class into an endless cycle of dependency on landowners. J.M.W Turner’s painting, Ploughing Up Turnips, near Slough, successfully and subtly comments on the growing disparity between classes with his depiction of Windsor Castle, the symbolic nature of turnips within contemporary culture, and the inefficiency of enclosures. Through historical and formal analysis, Michele Miller—in her article, J.M.W Turner’s Ploughing Up Turnips, near Slough: The Cultivation of Cultural Dissent—dissects the socio-economic and socio-political implications of the progressive English agriculture system promoted by King George III. She argues that Ploughing Up Turnips, near Slough should be seen not as optimistic propaganda, but as an …show more content…
Though this image does display an average picturesque English landscape, Turner’s subtle inclusion of controversial and or thought provoking objects create a scene of unease. I believe Turner divisively chose and placed the central images of large weeds, broken equipment, dairy cows, and faceless authoritative figures to make a statement on the socio-economic consequences of intentional dismemberment of class order and privatized