No one knows for certain what inspired Joseph Mallord William Turner to title this enigmatic 1822 painting What You Will!, but the phrase itself—borrowed from Shakespearean comedy—has puzzled and delighted viewers for two centuries. The painting’s original medium remains a matter of debate among art historians, as no contemporary documentation survives to clarify whether Turner worked in oil, watercolor, or a mixed technique. Its first public appearance was at the Royal Academy exhibition of 1822, where critics remarked on its "bewildering play of light and color." The work’s ambiguity and playful title have led some to speculate that Turner intended it as a challenge to the viewer: to see in it whatever they wished. At the heart of the composition, a stormy sky breaks open above a restless sea, while a lone figure—perhaps a fisherman or a mythic wanderer—stands on the shore, dwarfed by the elements.

The churning water and vaporous light, rendered in sweeping, almost abstract strokes, create a sense of instability and anticipation. The figure’s outstretched arm, pointing toward the horizon, may suggest longing or warning, while a scattered chain of boats in the distance hints at both peril and hope. Turner’s treatment here recalls his own Snow Storm: Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth, painted just a few years later, in which humanity is similarly set adrift amid nature’s chaos.

The ambiguity of narrative and the dominance of atmosphere invite the viewer to interpret the scene according to their own imagination. The subsequent history of What You Will! is as elusive as its subject. While some believe it was commissioned by a private patron, no definitive records have surfaced, and the painting’s provenance before the late 19th century is unclear. It passed through several British collections before entering a public institution, where it remains today, often displayed alongside Turner’s more famous seascapes.

The uncertainty surrounding its medium and meaning has made it a favorite among scholars of Romanticism, who see in it a turning point in Turner’s career—an early experiment in pushing the boundaries of representation and inviting the viewer’s participation in the act of seeing.