Joseph Mallord William Turner

West Malling: St Mary’s Abbey with the Cascade; a Study of Posts and a Signpost

1791–2

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In Tate Britain

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Artist: Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Part of: Watercolours of Oxford and the Home Counties
Medium: Graphite and watercolour on paper
Dimensions: Support: 452 x 294 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
Reference: D00184
Turner Bequest XVII I

Display caption

Turner trained as an architectural draughtsman, and most of his work during the 1790s featured historic buildings. This watercolour, which was made during these years, seems to have been torn from a sketchbook. It combines an interest in the ‘picturesque’ elements of run-down rustic buildings with the historic interest of old ruins.

Gallery label, August 2004

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