Joseph Mallord William Turner

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Brunnen was very little more than a village when Turner first visited it in 1802. It did, however, offer breath-taking panoramic views of Lake Lucerne in both directions, tempting him to revisit it on a number of occasions. Between 1842 and 1845 Turner produced several watercolours which capture his awed reverence for this spectacular scenery. On the strength of the sketch of Brunnen from the lake shown here (no.32), Ruskin commissioned a finished watercolour in 1845. He was, however, deeply disappointed when he discovered that Turner had introduced a group of 'ugly hotels' at the water's edge, since the buildings are indicated in the most general terms in the sketch.

Gallery label, August 2004

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