Joseph Mallord William Turner, Thomas Girtin

Portici: Mounts Somma and Vesuvius from Sir William Hamilton’s Villa

c.1796–7

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In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

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Artists
Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Thomas Girtin 1775–1802
Part of
Collaborations with Thomas Girtin for Dr Monro, and Other Copies
Medium
Watercolour on paper
Dimensions
None
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
Reference
D36559
Turner Bequest CCCLXXV 38

Catalogue entry

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 copied from a sketch by John Robert Cozens (1752–1797) in Beckford Sketchbook II, pp.9 verso–10 recto, titled ‘From the Myrtle Plantation at Sr. W. Hamilton’s Villa – Portici’ and dated ‘August 18 [1782]’ (Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, D1975.5. 9/10).1
This sheet was omitted from Finberg’s 1909 Inventory.2
1
Bell and Girtin 1935, p.56 under no.238; Charles Nugent, British Watercolours in the Whitworth Art Gallery, the University of Manchester: A Summary Catalogue of Drawings and Watercolours by Artists Born before 1880, London and Manchester 2003, p.92, reproduced.
2
See A.J. Finberg, A Complete Inventory of the Drawings of the Turner Bequest, London 1909, vol.II, p.1236.
Verso:
Blank; stamped in brown ink with Turner Bequest monogram.

Andrew Wilton
April 2012

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