Moments before the Royal Academy exhibition in 1832, the determined JMW Turner hurriedly added a red buoy to his painting Helvoetsluys. His last-minute aim being to upstage his great rival John Constable, next to whose red-smattered painting, Opening of Waterloo Bridge, his seascape was to be hung.

These two paintings are reunited at the Tate Britain’s new exhibition for the first time since 1832, as the gallery on the Millbank pairs the works of the great romantic artist, Turner, with others by the Masters and his contemporaries, all of whom he notoriously attempted to imitate, rival, and surpass.

Tim Marlow leads a tour of this unforgettable exhibition, which brings together works from all over the world, by artists such as Titian, Rubens, Rembrandt, Canaletto and Poussin, discovering many of Turner’s professional contests and discussing which he lost and which he won. Did the single red buoy steal the show from Constable? And did Turner deserve to compare himself to the Masters? Decide for yourself, as Tim examines the influences, inspiration, stories and artistic rivalries behind the greatest works by ‘the painter of light’, at this momentous exhibition.