Joseph Mallord William Turner

Syon House through Trees by the River Thames

c.1805

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In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

View by appointment

Artist: Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Part of: Composition Studies Sketchbook
Medium
Dimensions: Support: 118 × 184 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
Reference: D03803
Turner Bequest LXV 2

Catalogue entry

The building at the centre is Syon House, seen to the west from the wooded banks of the River Thames, with the corner turret of its castellated façade being the most characteristic feature; the projecting central bay on this front also appears to be indicated; the subject was recognised by Turner scholar C.F. Bell.1 Folio 1 recto (D03802) shows a variant view.

Standing just north of Turner’s Isleworth base at Syon Ferry House (see the overall Introduction to this section), the imposing residence of the Dukes of Northumberland features in various studies of this period; see for example the watercolour known as ‘The Swan’s Nest’ (Tate D04163; Turner Bequest LXX L), and an ink drawing of a similar aspect in the Studies for Pictures: Isleworth sketchbook (Tate D05507; Turner Bequest XC 12).

For Turner’s use of numbers within the drawings in this book, see the Introduction.

C.F. Bell (died 1966), undated MS note in copy of Finberg 1909, Prints and Drawings Room, Tate Britain, I, p.167; copied by Finberg (died 1939) in interleaved copy at same location, opposite p.167.

Verso:

Blank. There is faint offsetting from the ink drawing on folio 3 recto opposite (D03804).

Matthew Imms
April 2016

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