Analyse the artist's use of brushwork and colour in 'Rain, Steam, and Speed - The Great Western Railway' 1844 by William Turner. What effect does the artists handling of paint achieve?

Turner's loose brushwork creates the impression of speed and movement. The directional brushstrokes consisting of pale white paint, evident for example in the right foreground as the brushstrokes interject diagonally across the railway, creates the impression of a gust of wind blowing towards the left, past the train and via the bridge. This is furthermore achieved due to the dramatic contrast in colours. The deep brown paint used to create the bridge surrounding the train, contrasts vividly with the almost translucent white, creating an intangible effect, elevating paint to the quality of air, against the solidity of the brown bridge. The softness of the brushstrokes further allows the paint to blend, which emphasises the notion of wind passing by rapidly as the train surges straight on through the steamed air.