At first glance, this mysterious image seems to be a study of the final rays of the declining sun, as reflected on a wide expanse of water. Some of Turner's late images use sunsets to invoke ideas of mortality.

However, closer examination of this canvas suggests that the cooler passages of paint on the right may in fact represent snowy alpine peaks. These may be the mountains around Lake Lucerne, which Turner visited frequently in the 1840s.

We have tried to show all the unfinished works in this display without their frames. However, this painting could not be unframed for conservation reasons.