Joseph Mallord William Turner, Thomas Girtin

Provenance:
Probably commissioned by Dr Thomas Monro
Monro’s posthumous sale, Christie’s, London, 26–28 June and 1–2 July 1833 (day and lot number not known)
Bought by or on behalf of Turner

The pencil work is by Girtin. This was probably copied from a sketch by John Robert Cozens (1752–1797) from the ‘Payne Knight’ series of 1776, though the original has not been identified. The quality of the washes does not seem to be high and it is just possible that they are by a hand other than Turner’s, though the present condition of the sheet makes such judgments difficult.

Technical notes:

The sheet is discoloured from prolonged exposure. It is laid down on a paper mount (cut from an album) with a ruled pencil border, which corresponds with the type of mount used in the two ‘Monro School’ albums at Tate (Turner Bequest CCCLXXIII, CCCLXXIV) and the two Savoy Chapel subjects, Tate D36523 and D36526 (Turner Bequest CCCLXXV 2, 5); see also Tate D36524 (Turner Bequest CCCLXXV 3).

Verso:

Blank; inscribed, probably by Thomas Girtin, in pencil ‘Road near Mt. St Gothard in the | Canton of Uri. -’; laid down on album page.