Llanthony Abbey, Monmouthshire 1794 Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775-1851 Pencil and watercolour on wove paper © Tate, London 2002. Accepted by the Nation as part of the Turner Bequest, 1856

Room 1 Llanthony Abbey, Monmouthshire Turner was one of the artists who also exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1794, the year in which Girtin made his debut. At this stage, Turner's approach to architectural subjects differed markedly from Girtin's. Turner has given more emphasis to the lonely mountain setting and the dramatic weather effect than the architectural subject of his work. By moving the emphasis away from the building, he suggests that its ruined state was caused by the ravages of time and a wild climate. Girtin was more strictly tied to the antiquarian market in 1794 and he was not able to take such a dramatic step for at least another year.