Richmond from the River Swale

1797

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In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

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Artist: Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Part of: Tweed and Lakes Sketchbook
Medium: Graphite on paper
Dimensions: Support: 274 x 370 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
Reference: D01012
Turner Bequest XXXV 9

Catalogue entry

Drawn with the page turned horizontally, the view is taken from across the River Swale, looking downstream towards the Castle and Green Bridge. The initials ‘RS’ on the verso suggest that Turner’s colleague at the Academy Robert Smirke (1752–1845) chose this subject for a finished watercolour which Turner may have offered as thanks for Smirke’s support in his application for Associateship in 1799. He evidently began work on one, as is testifed by the existence of an atmospheric colour study of the composition (Tate D01116; Turner Bequest XXXVI V). No finished watercolour is known, however, though other subjects exist as the result of commissions from other Academicians: John Hoppner (1758–1810) acquired the subject sketched on folio 20 recto (D01018; Turner Bequest XXXV 15), Joseph Farington (1747–1821) that on folio 29 recto (D01084; Turner Bequest XXXV 82). Another view of Richmond is in the contemporary North of England sketchbook (Tate D00932; Turner Bequest XXXIV 26).

Verso:

Blank; inscribed (perhaps by Robert Smirke) in pencil ‘R.S.’; stamped in brown ink with Turner Bequest monogram; inscribed by John Ruskin in brown ink ‘96’ (circled); and by ?A.J. Finberg in pencil ‘23’ and ‘141.9’.

Andrew Wilton
August 2010

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