This dramatic watercolour was made for a print series of scenes on the River Seine published in 1834. It would have been unusual for a printmaker to work from a watercolour on blue paper. It takes its title from the feature halfway up the hillside. This rocky outcrop is said to resemble a giant’s chair. Turner lets loose on atmospheric effects here. A lightning bolt is reflected in the water on the left, while smoke rises from the steamship – like those on which Turner loved to travel – on the right.
Gallery label, October 2023
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