J.M.W.透纳因对光线与色彩的大胆创新而备受推崇，其作品中往往注入强烈的戏剧性与情感张力。他的早期作品细腻写实，但随着风格演进，他逐渐拥抱更富表现力与氛围感的创作手法，深刻影响了日后印象主义的发展。
透纳成年后的大半生，都遵循着严格的艺术创作节奏：每年夏天，他走访英国乡间，以户外写生的方式，描绘气势磅礴的景致，例如他笔下诺森伯兰的诺汉姆城堡在2017年于佳士得以581,000英镑的价格售出；冬日则蛰居画室，根据这些写生稿，潜心创作油画。这种创作模式让他得以挣脱伦敦的束缚，以及他视为桎梏的学院派传统。
《海上渔夫》（1796年作，现藏于伦敦泰特不列颠美术馆）是透纳首幅在皇家艺术研究院展出的油画作品，1796年亮相之际，便展现了他宏大的艺术抱负与精湛的绘画技巧。这幅画也为他引来众多富有的赞助人委托，例如英国威尔特郡斯托海德庄园的主人理查德‧科尔特‧霍尔，以及同样位于威尔特郡、拥有方特希尔哥德式宫殿的威廉·贝克福德，皆请他绘制风景画作。
1804年，年仅二十九岁的透纳已在伦敦哈利街开设了自己的画廊，展出作品包含他早期气氛浓郁的风景画，以及尺幅较小的英格兰田园风光。这种打破传统的自我推销手法深受著名藏家赏识，他们更邀请透纳参观他们的豪华宅邸。意大利雕塑家安东尼奥‧卡诺瓦参观过哈利街的画廊后，将透纳称作一位天才。
透纳勇于尝试不寻常的构图，有时抛开画笔，转而使用调色刀，甚至以自己的拇指，在画作表面刮擦、涂抹，创造独特质感。2006年在佳士得纽约以35,856,000美元成交、刷新拍卖纪录的《朱代卡岛，安康圣母圣殿和圣乔治马焦雷教堂》便是几乎完全以调色刀创作。
J.M.W.透纳于1851年辞世，安葬于圣保罗大教堂。他生前便安排自己长眠于此，与他的“艺术同道”约书亚·雷诺兹爵士和托马斯·劳伦斯爵士为邻。
维多利亚时代的著名艺评家约翰·拉斯金曾赞誉透纳为最能“以激动人心而真诚平实手法描绘大自然情绪”的艺术家。到了1910年，英国国家美术馆（现泰特不列颠美术馆）更特地辟建一翼，用以陈列他遗赠给国家的作品（这批珍藏后来于1987年移送到同一栋建筑内的克罗尔馆）。
1984年设立的年度“透纳奖”，便是为向他致敬而命名。2011年，透纳当代画廊在滨海小镇马盖特开幕，纪念这位艺术家与该地的深厚渊源。2016年，透纳的肖像更获英国银行选用，印制于新版20英镑纸钞上，以表彰他对英国艺术的卓越贡献。
探索约瑟夫·马罗德·威廉·透纳作品
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (LONDON 1775-1851)
Depositing of John Bellini’s Three Pictures in La Chiesa Redentore, Venice
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (LONDON 1775-1851)
Pope's Villa at Twickenham
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (LONDON 1775-1851)
The Lungernsee by Moonlight, Switzerland
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
Venice: The New Moon – The Dogana from the steps of The Hotel Europa
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (LONDON 1775-1851)
Sunrise over the Sea, perhaps at Margate
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
Rievaulx Abbey, Yorkshire
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (1775-1851)
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, with Nelson's Column
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
The Lake of Lucerne from Brunnen, with a Steamer
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. London 1775-1851
The Brunig Pass from Meringen, Switzerland
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (LONDON 1775-1851)
The Splügen Pass
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
The Rock of Gibraltar, with shipping in the foreground
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
Norham Castle: Sunrise
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
Ludlow Castle, Shropshire
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
The Thurn and Taxis Palace with the Obermünster in the distance, Regensburg, Germany
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (LONDON 1775-1851)
Hampton Court Palace
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
Conway Castle, North Wales
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
'Off Yarmouth': A Steamship off the Coast in Rough Weather
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
Launceston, Cornwall
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
The Valley of the Brook at Kidron, Jerusalem (Absalom's Tomb)
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (1775-1851)
Jerusalem from the Latin Convent
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (LONDON 1775-1851)
Rocks at Colgong (Kahalgaon) on the Ganges, Bihar, India
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (LONDON 1775-1851)
Binger Lorch and the Mäuseturm
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. London 1775-1851
A view in the Domleschg Valley, Switzerland
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (LONDON 1775-1851)
Pendennis Castle and the entrance to Falmouth Harbour, Cornwall: Scene after a Wreck
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (LONDON 1775-1851)
Cassiobury, Hertfordshire, seen from the North-West
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (LONDON 1775-1851)
The Grand Bridge at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
The Chain Pier, Brighton
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. London 1775-1851
On the Mosel: Bernkastel, Kues and The Landshut, Germany
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (LONDON 1775-1851)
The approach to Venice or Venice from the lagoon, circa 1840
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
Lake Albano, Italy
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (1775-1851)
Lebanon in a Thunderstorm (The Cedars of Lebanon)
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (LONDON 1775-1851)
The River Aare at Thun, looking towards Lake Thun, with the Niesen and the Bernese Alps beyond
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
Genoa, from the Sea, looking up to the Church of Santa Maria Assunta in Carignano
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (LONDON 1775-1851)
London: Autumnal Morning
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (1775-1851)
The Brenva Glacier from Notre Dame de la Guérison, above Courmayeur, Val d'Aosta
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
Colour beginning: A coastal landscape with a figure in the foreground
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (LONDON 1775-1851)
Binger Loch and the Mäuseturm
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
Mont Blanc from the Bridge of St. Martin, Sallanches
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (1775-1851)
A view on the Mosel, possibly Coblenz, Germany
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
Lake Lucerne, with the Rigi
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
A storm at sea, Fingal's cave
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
Mount Sinai, the Valley in which the Children of Israel were encamped
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (1775-1851)
View on the River Brent, North London
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
The Memorial to Byron, Scott and Moore
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
Pendennis Castle and the entrance to Falmouth Harbour, Cornwall; Scene after a Wreck
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (LONDON 1775-1851)
Plymouth Citadel, a gale
JOSEPH MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER, R.A. (LONDON, 1775-1851)
Cologne from the river
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (1775-1851)
Sisteron from the North-West, with a Low Sun
Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (London 1775-1851)
Babbacombe Bay from near Teignmouth, Devon