'Sunset over the River Thames', Joseph Mallord William Turner | Tate

Artwork details

Artist

Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775‑1851)

Title

Sunset over the River Thames

From Boats, Ice Sketchbook

Turner Bequest CI

Date c.1806-14

MediumGraphite on paper

Dimensionssupport: 107 x 180 mm

Collection

Tate

Acquisition Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856

Reference

D06622

Turner Bequest CI 4

View this artwork by appointment, at Tate Britain's Prints and Drawings Rooms

Turner's sketchbooks

View this artwork in the Boats, Ice Sketchbook

Catalogue entry

Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851

Folio 4 Recto:

Sunset over the River Thames circa 1806–14

D06622
Turner Bequest CI 4

Pencil on white wove paper, 107 x 180 mm
Inscribed by Turner in pencil ‘Greenish Blue’ in sky at right of centre, ‘Green’ and ‘Blue’ above horizon left of centre
Inscribed by John Ruskin in red ink ‘4’ bottom right
Stamped in black ‘CI 4’ bottom right

Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856

References

This is more carefully wrought than most sketches in the book. A further pencil note by Turner on folio 3 verso (D40802), ‘Red light’, describes the colour of the sunset sky. For other sunset or sky studies see folios 6–9, 28, 39 verso and 40 (D06625–D06628, D06647, D06661, D06662).

Verso:

Blank

David Blayney Brown
December 2006

Read this catalogue entry in full

This catalogue entry is part of: David Blayney Brown (ed.), J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours, December 2012.

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Context

Joseph Mallord William Turner

Sketchbooks

1802-18 Academician and professor

Sketchbooks from the 1800s

Boats, Ice Sketchbook

Tate Collection

Gifts and bequests

Turner Bequest