after Joseph Mallord William Turner

Catalogue entry

[from] The Gallery of Modern British Artists pub.1834–6 [T05149-T05151; complete]

Three line-engravings, various states, comprising both subjects; different papers and sizes
Purchased (Grant-in-Aid) 1988
Prov: ...; N.W. Lott and H.J. Gerrish Ltd, from whom bt by Tate Gallery

The Gallery of Modern British Artists was published in two volumes by the London publishers Simpkin and Marshall and T.W Stevens, apparently in conjunction with Charles Tilt. There is some confusion over the exact date of the publication; the copy in the British Library, issued as one volume, has the date 1834 on the spine and on the title-page, although 1836 is inscribed on the title-page vignette and in the publication line below the frontispiece vignette. Although Rawlinson ascribes the date 1834–6 to the publication in the list at the front of his catalogue, the date 1834–56 appears in his text; this must surely be a mistake. ‘Fish Market, Rotterdam’ is dated 1834 in Rawlinson's list and ‘Rievaulx’ 1836, although the latter is dated to ‘about 1835’ in Rawlinson's text. Both plates, however, appear in volume two of the Gallery of Modern British Artists and are therefore likely to be of the same date, probably 1836. The publication was reissued as one volume, in about 1840, by D. Omer Smith, but ‘Rievaulx Abbey’ was omitted from this edition.

The Gallery of Modern British Artists comprised a series of engravings after contemporary British artists, essentially watercolourists, such as Clennell, De Wint, Stanfield and Bonington, in addition to Turner. The plates were accompanied by a descriptive text. The engravers for the two Turner plates were Joseph Clayton Bentley (1809–51) and William Floyd (active 1832–59).

T05149 Fish Market, Rotterdam engr. W. Floyd, pub.? 1836

Line-engraving 106 × 151 (4 3/16 × 5 15/16) on wove paper 171 × 204 (6 3/4 × 8); trimmed within plate-mark
Engraved inscriptions: ‘FISH MARKET, | ROTTERDAM. | From an Original Drawing by J.M.W Turner, R.A. | Engraved by W. Floyd. | London, Simpkin & Marshall, Stationer's Court & the Proprietor, 1 Cloudesley Terrace, Islington.’ below image at centre
Lit: Rawlinson II 1913, no.570, later state

Published: Vol.II, p.68. Original work: unknown. Although this plate was probably based on a water-colour design by Turner, no trace of it has ever been found. The accompanying text refers to ‘a very beautiful view ... in this artist's best style’ but gives no further information about the original work. ‘Fish Market, Rotterdam’ appears as the last plate in the later edition of c.1840.

This impression must be of the same state as those that appeared in the published volume of 1834–6, for the publication line in the later edition of c.1840 was altered to ‘Published by A. Asher, Berlin.’

Published in:
Tate Gallery: Illustrated Catalogue of Acquisitions 1986-88, London 1996

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