In Tate Britain
Prints and Drawings Room
View by appointment- Artist
- Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
- Medium
- Graphite, watercolour and gouache on paper
- Dimensions
- Support: 758 × 579 mm
- Collection
- Tate
- Acquisition
- Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
- Reference
- D01101
Turner Bequest XXXVI G
Display caption
Since 1794 Turner's depictions of architecture had become increasingly sublime as he strove to recreate the sense of awe imposed on the visitor by the immense structures of England's cathedrals. For this type of watercolour he evolved a sophisticated technique of scratching away or lifting out colour to introduce light into the sombre interior. This view manages to suggest the towering grandeur of Durham's distinctive architecture, while at the same time creating a sense of depth by choosing a viewpoint of overlapping and interconnected spaces. Turner executed another interior view of Durham Cathedral, which was engraved to illustrate a volume of essays (see no.65 in the nearby showcase).
Gallery label, August 2004
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Technique and condition
Catalogue entry
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- architecture(41,310)
- periods and styles(5,203)
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- Romanesque(168)
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- England, Northern(2,980)
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Joseph Mallord William Turner Interior of Durham Cathedral: The Nave and Crossing Seen from the South Aisle
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Joseph Mallord William Turner Durham Cathedral: Looking from the Crossing into the Nave and North Transept
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After Joseph Mallord William Turner Durham Cathedral, Interior, engraved by Porter
published 1802 -
Joseph Mallord William Turner Salisbury Cathedral: The Choir, Looking East towards the Lady Chapel
c.1797 -
Joseph Mallord William Turner Durham: The West End of the Cathedral Seen from the South beyond Trees
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Joseph Mallord William Turner Durham Cathedral: The Nave Seen from the North Aisle
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Joseph Mallord William Turner Oxford: The Interior of Christ Church Cathedral
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Joseph Mallord William Turner Peterborough Cathedral: The Interior, Looking East from the West Door towards the Organ Screen
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Joseph Mallord William Turner Durham: The Castle, Cathedral, and Framwellgate Bridge
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Joseph Mallord William Turner Durham: Distant View of the Cathedral, Seen beyond Woods from the South-East
1801 -
Joseph Mallord William Turner Durham: The Cathedral Seen between Trees across the River
1801 -
Joseph Mallord William Turner Durham: The City and Cathedral Seen from the South, with the River and Prebend’s Bridge in the Left Foreground
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Joseph Mallord William Turner Durham Cathedral Seen from the South-West across the River Wear
1801 -
Joseph Mallord William Turner Durham: The Cathedral Seen between Trees across the River
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Joseph Mallord William Turner Ely Cathedral: The Western Tower Seen from the South East
1794