Joseph Mallord William Turner

The design is based on Tate D00135 (Turner Bequest XII F). Finberg dated the drawing to 1795, having misread the inscribed date thus. Both date and signature have been scratched with a razor, the name almost obliterated. This is a very grand and highly finished watercolour, with its effects of cloud, rain and rushing water one of the first of Turner’s works to aspire to the landscape sublime, and showing the influence of John Robert Cozens (1752–1797) and Thomas Hearne (1744–1817).

Another version of the subject is in a private collection.1 Various other versions are known; see for instance the drawing formerly in the Alton collection, at auction at Holloway’s, Banbury, 24 March 2009 (266, reproduced in colour). For Turner’s work with pupils see the relevant section of the present catalogue, and for a student’s copy see Tate D00678 (Turner Bequest XXVII Q). Was the student responsible for scratching out Turner’s name? A finished watercolour of about 1835 for the Picturesque Views in England and Wales, loosely based on this composition, is in the Pantzer Collection, Indianapolis Museum of Art.2

Technical notes:

The washline border has been partly trimmed away at the top and bottom and on the right.

Verso:

The sheet laid down on buff-grey card; stamped in brown ink with Turner Bequest monogram above ‘XXVII R’ bottom left; inscribed in pencil ‘124’ top left; inscribed in a modern hand ‘7’ (circled) centre; and inscribed in pencil ‘XXVII.R’ towards bottom right.