Joseph Mallord William Turner

Mountains

1844

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In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

View by appointment

Artist: Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Part of: Grindelwald Sketchbook
Medium: Graphite on paper
Dimensions: Support: 116 × 106 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
Reference: D35102
Turner Bequest CCCXLVIII 17 a

Display caption

One of the sketchbooks Turner took with him on his final trip to Switzerland. He has inscribed this sheet in triumph 'No matter what bef[ell] Hannibel - WB and JMWT [...] passed the alps Setr 3 1844 from Fombey'. Turner had twice been prevented from crossing the Alps by bad weather. Here he records the date of his eventual success and alludes to Hannibal's own problems with the Alpine climate. Turner's companion 'WB' may have been William Brockedon (1781-1854), the amateur painter and geologist, with whom Turner was acquainted. Brockedon had assisted Turner's friend John Murray III with the compiling of a guide book to Switzerland.

Gallery label, February 1993

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