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Why did some viewers find J.M.W. Turner’s later paintings close to abstract art?

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J.M.W. Turner: The Fighting Temeraire Tugged to Her Last Berth to Be Broken Up, 1838 — J.M.W. Turner *The Fighting Temeraire Tugged to Her Last Berth to Be Broken Up, 1838*, oil on canvas by J.M.W. Turner, 1839; in the National Gallery, London.

Viewers and critics often associate J.M.W. Turner’s later works with abstract art because he increasingly prioritized atmospheric effects of light and color over the precise, realistic representation of subjects.12

In his later years, Turner moved away from the academic traditions of his early career, sacrificing architectural and natural detail to focus on fluid compositions and "color notations" where forms are only barely indicated. This stylistic shift resulted in paintings that, from a distance, appear as powerful, undefined mélanges of color rather than realistic, three-dimensional scenes.23

By breaking down conventional formulas of representation, Turner sought to reach a deeper emotional response and capture the "sublime"—the infinite forces of nature, such as fire, storms, and the sun. While these works were sometimes criticized by contemporaries for their lack of finish, they are now recognized for their innovative use of light and color, which anticipated the development of Impressionism and modern abstraction.1342