Joseph Mallord William Turner

The exact location of this interior scene of peasant life is unknown although the headdress of the woman coaxing the little child is characteristic of Northern France. It is closely comparable to other colour studies on blue paper Tate D24755 and D24802 (Turner Bequest CCLIX 190, 237) which Turner specialist Ian Warrell has connected it to the informal sketches which the artist made of the humble dwellings around Saumur during his tour of the Loire Valley in the autumn of 1826.1

Technical Notes:

The sheet was formerly attached along one edge to D40080 (Turner Bequest CCLIX 263b).1 It belongs to a batch of dense blue paper with black fibres used by Turner made by George Steart of Bally, Ellen and Steart at De Montault Mill, Coombe Down, Bath. 2

Verso:

Inscribed in pencil with the notes ‘37 b’ in the centre of the sheet and ‘CCLIX – 270’ in the top left-hand corner. Stamped in black with the Turner Bequest monogram and ‘CCLIX 270’ in the centre of the sheet.