Catalogue entry
It is difficult to make out the intended subject of this loose albeit atmospheric scene, which is little more than a ‘beginning’. The only published commentator, Finberg confidently identified the setting as the Piazza San Marco (St Mark’s Square),
1 while the Turner scholar C.F. Bell annotated Finberg’s 1909
Inventory entry (‘The Piazza, with figures’): ‘by night. Nondescript’.
2The work is thus included in the present grouping of Piazza and Piazzetta views by default. There appear to be two silhouetted figures at the centre, possibly climbing steps to a raised area, illuminated by strong raking light from the right. The dim background evokes monumental architectural forms, while the fresh blue and white suggests moonlight, likely in an outdoor setting, although the setting might also be the interior of a large church. Compare Tate
D32233 (Turner Bequest CCCXVIII 14) in this subset, which has a clearer claim as a Piazza scene with figures, but also some of those on brown papers grouped as darkened interiors and figure scenes, such as
D32228,
D32237 or
D32244 (CCCXVIII 9, 18, 25).
The unfinished edge of the original sheet from which this portion was torn is evident at the right. This is one of numerous 1840 Venice works Ian Warrell has noted as being on ‘Red-brown paper made at Cartieri Pietro Milani Mill, Fabriano, with a watermark showing the letter “M” accompanied by laurel leaves:
1 Tate
D32224,
D32227,
D32230,
D32238–D32241,
D32245–D32246,
D32248,
D32251,
D32254 (Turner Bequest CCCXVIII 5, 8, 11, 19–22, 26, 27, 29, CCCXIX 3, 6). As Warrell has observed; the support ‘seems to be quite absorbent, so that the colours penetrate through to the back of the sheet’.
2
Blank; closed mount; Finberg recorded Turner’s inscription in ink: ‘1’.
1 For Turner’s various annotations to 1840 Venice sheets, see the overall Introduction to the tour.
Matthew Imms
September 2018
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