J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours

ISBN 978-1-84976-386-8
J.M.W. Turner > 1819-29 Italy and after > Ports of England c.1822-8 > Ports of England Sketchbook > Artwork

Joseph Mallord William Turner Studies for Classical Compositions c.1822-3

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Joseph Mallord William Turner, ‘Studies for Classical Compositions’ c.1822-3
Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Folio 31 Verso
Studies for Classical Compositions c.1822–3
D17757
Turner Bequest CCII 31 a
Pencil and chalk on paper, 257 x 178 mm
Blind-stamped six times with Turner Bequest monogram (relative to foliation): top left, centre left near periphery of sheet, towards bottom left, centre towards bottom, centre, top centre
 
Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
With the sketchbook turned upside down relative to the foliation, Turner has divided the sheet to accommodate six separate pencil sketches. The drawings on the upper register appear to depict classical interiors: on the right, an empty atrium and staircase with pilasters and columns lining the walls; on the left a lavish interior with figures reclining within. The drawing at the bottom left may also be an interior scene. The remaining drawings depict views of an antique city and a classical harbour with shipping.

Alice Rylance-Watson
March 2013

How to cite

Alice Rylance-Watson, ‘Studies for Classical Compositions c.1822–3 by Joseph Mallord William Turner’, catalogue entry, March 2013, in David Blayney Brown (ed.), J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours, Tate Research Publication, September 2014, https://www.tate.org.uk/art/research-publications/jmw-turner/joseph-mallord-william-turner-studies-for-classical-compositions-r1148327, accessed 19 September 2024.