Going out: art turner whistler monet

Heard the one about the Englishman, the Frenchman and the American? How they changed the face of landscape painting? It isn't funny, but it is true. J M W Turner set the ball rolling with his impressionistic renderings of the play of light, particularly on water. The cantankerous Royal Academician left behind a rich legacy of spirited innovation: indeed, Claude Monet and James Whistler acknowledged his influence on their work. Whistler's nocturnes may have caused outrage and consternation among 19th-century critics, but are now celebrated for their evocation of the Thames at twilight. Equally, Monet's views of the lagoon at Venice capture something of the city's mysterious stillness. Tate Britain's latest blockbuster, covering the inter-relationship between these three iconic artists, has drawn large crowds in Toronto and Paris. It's certain to do the same here.

Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1 (020-7887 8000; www.tate.org.uk) Thur to 15 May