Joseph Mallord William Turner

The sheets displayed in this showcase all depict Angers, the capital of the area known as Anjou, and mostly focus on the views to be had close to the riverside. The addition of another four of the smaller pieces would complete the sixteen sections of the original sheet of blue paper, to give some idea of its size before Turner folded and tore it into more useful, pocket-size fragments. Turner sketched in pencil on similar sheets of blue paper at Nantes and Tours, but in contrast with those places, very few of the views of Angers were later worked up in colour (no.78). This is probably because Angers lies on the River Maine, rather than the Loire, which had become the object of Turner's special interest.

Gallery label, September 2004

Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.