Joseph Mallord William TurnerA River Seen from a Hill c.1840-5

532. [N05475] A River Seen from a Hill c. 1840–5

THE TATE GALLERY, LONDON (5475)

Canvas, 31 × 31 3/4 (79 × 79·5)

Coll. Turner Bequest 1856 (157, one of 2 each 2'7 3/4" ×2'7" with No. 504); transferred to the Tate Gallery 1947.

Exh. Arts Council tour 1952 (22); Athens 1980 (76, repr. in colour).

Lit. Davies 1946, pp. 157, 188; Herrmann 1978, p. 773; Wallace 1979, p. 109, pl. 1; Butlin 1981, p. 45.

An oil beginning, square in shape and probably done in the early 1840s when Turner was experimenting with such formats; c.f. especially No. 504 [N05482]. The canvas bears the form of Thomas Brown's stamp that seems to have come into use in about 1839. The scene, with a bridge and twin poplars, may be Italian but is not necessarily so… (read more)