Insight: Turner Worldwide
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This ambitious project supported by the New Opportunities Fund, creates the first comprehensive online catalogue of Turner's works outside Tate.
It re-unites over 2,000 works by Turner, held in private and public collections around the world, with Tate's own vast holdings, mostly from the Turner Bequest which was given to the nation on the artist's death. Online visitors are able to view the Turner Worldwide works separately, or alongside Tate's holdings. |
The Turner catalogue is designed to be a first stop for information on Turner's paintings, watercolours and drawings. The standard catalogues, Andrew Wilton's The Life and Work of J.M.W. Turner (1979) and Martin Butlin and Evelyn Joll's The Paintings of J.M.W. Turner (revised 1984), covering the watercolours and oil paintings respectively, are cited, but many other works are included which were outside the scope of these books or unknown at that time. High quality colour illustrations are displayed for as many works as possible with accompanying texts where available, and visitors are able to link to the websites of the relevant public collections. The Turner Worldwide works are searchable by a variety of means including owning institution and location, subject, title and date, and identified British and European scenes can be accessed by clickable maps.
About 100 partners from public and private collections around the world are already involved and have given Tate permission to illustrate their works, including around 35 galleries in the UK. Initially, about a quarter of the catalogue is illustrated, rising to around half by mid 2003, and continuing to grow as further external partnerships are forged.
This online collection enables visitors to see works which travel rarely, if at all, and therefore would otherwise never be seen outside their collections. Ian Warrell, Tate curator says:
'This is an extremely important and long awaited resource which is invaluable for Turner scholars and enthusiasts. We very much hope that those collectors and galleries who have works not yet illustrated in the catalogue will be encouraged to come forward.'
An interesting by-product of the formation of this online catalogue is that some untraced works, which in many cases have not been seen for decades, are being brought to light again. Tate has already located several and is actively pursuing the others.
These selected images give you a flavour of the remarkable works about to be brought together online through Turner Worldwide.
 Aberdulais Mill, Glamorganshire 1796 or 1797 The National Library of Wales |
 Dunstanborough Castle circa 1798 Collection of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, New Zealand. Purchased 1931 with funds from the Dunedin Public Art Gallery Society. |
 Interior of Fountains Abbey circa 1815-18 Private Collection, UK |
 A First Rate Taking in Stores 1818 Trustees of the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery, Bedford, England |
Kirby Lonsdale Churchyardcirca 1818 Private Collection, UK |
 Off St Alban's Head circa 1818-22 Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate Museums and Arts |
 The Burning of the House of Lords and Commons, 16th October 1834 exhibited 1835 Philadelphia Museum of Art |
 Landscape, with Woman with Tambourine circa 1845 Tochigi Prefectural Museum of Fine Arts, Japan |