The Reichenbach Falls

1802

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In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

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Artist: Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Part of: Rhine, Strassburg and Oxford Sketchbook
Medium: Graphite on paper
Dimensions: Support: 240 x 154 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
Reference: D04766
Turner Bequest LXXVII 27

Catalogue entry

After visiting Grindelwald and its glaciers, of which he took several views in this sketchbook – see especially folio 29 (D04768) – Turner crossed the Great Scheidegg pass to Meiringen. Descending to the grassy valley of Rosenlaui he was confronted at its far end by the Reichenbach falls, cascading down into the Haslital in clouds of spray. He made several sketches, this being the only one in this sketchbook and perhaps his first impression. He turned the sketchbook sideways to make it, thus already anticipating the upright composition of the watercolour dated 1804 and acquired by Walter Fawkes (Cecil Higgins Art Gallery, Bedford).1 The most direct source for the Fawkes watercolour (National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin)2 is closely related to this pencil sketch and was presumably worked up from it.

Andrew Wilton, The Life and Work of J.M.W. Turner, Fribourg 1979, p.341 no.367.

Ibid., p.341 no.361.

Verso:

Blank

David Blayney Brown
March 2004

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