J.M.W. Turner
Joseph Mallord William Turner Petworth House: The Old Library ('The Artist and his Admirers') 1827
Joseph Mallord William Turner,
Petworth House: The Old Library ('The Artist and his Admirers')
1827
Petworth House: The Old Library (‘The Artist and his Admirers’) 1827
D22764
Turner Bequest CCXLIV 102
Turner Bequest CCXLIV 102
Watercolour and gouache on blue wove paper, 138 x 190 mm
Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
Exhibition history
1913
Art Gallery, Merthyr Tydfil, December 1913–May 1914 (no catalogue but numbered 132).
1914
[Petworth watercolours], Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, April–July 1914 (no catalogue found).
1914
Welsh Drawings by J.M.W. Turner, R.A., National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, October 1914–January 1915 (132).
1919
[Works from the Turner Bequest], Swansea 1919 (no catalogue found) (132).
1961
J.W.M. [sic] Turner 1775–1851: Watercolours: On Loan to the National Gallery of Victoria on the Occasion of its Centenary from the Turner Bequest by Courtesy of the Trustees and Director of the British Museum, London, with the Assistance of the British Council, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, September–October 1961, National Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, October–November 1961 (16b).
1947
Turner 1775–1851: Tentoonstelling in het Stedelijk Museum te Amsterdam georganiseerd door de Tate Gallery voor de British Council, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam 1947 (52).
1947
William Turner 1775–1851: Die Ausstellung wurde von der Tate Gallery für den British Council organisiert, Berner Kunstmuseum, Bern, December 1947–February 1948 (52b).
1948
Turner 1775–1851: Tentoonstelling van schilderijen ingericht door de Tate Gallery voor The British Council in het Ministerie van Openbaar Onderwijs van Belgie, Palais voor Schone Kunst, Brussels and Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Liège, March–April 1948 (52c).
1948
Turner 1775–1851: Exposition de peintures organisée par la Tate Gallery pour le British Council, Musée de l’Orangerie, Paris, ?March 1948 (52c).
1951
Aquarelle aus dem Turner-Nachlass im Britischen Museum veranstaltet vom British Council, Düsseldorf, Wiesbaden, Mannheim, Munich, Nuremberg: September or October 1950–March 1951, and September 1951–April 1952 (10c).
1951
The Turner Collection from Petworth, Tate Gallery, London, May–July 1951.
1938
[Display of Watercolours], National Gallery, London, December 1938–September 1939 (no catalogue), as one of ‘Three Interiors at Petworth’.
1963
J.M.W. Turner, Bridgestone Gallery, Tokyo, September–October 1963, Fine Arts Museum, Osaska, November 1963 (19c).
1964
Turner 1775–1851: Watercolours from the British Museum, London, Presented in Association with the British Council, City Hall Art Gallery, Hong Kong, January 1964 (19c).
1965
[Display of watercolours from the Turner Bequest], Tate Gallery, London, ? – [?]March 1965 (no catalogue).
1970
Turner at Petworth: An Exhibition Arranged by the National Trust of Drawings of Petworth by J.M.W. Turner R.A. 1775–1851, Petworth House, Petworth, June–August 1970 (no catalogue).
1974
Turner 1775–1851, Royal Academy, London, November 1974–March 1975 (358).
1977
Turner Watercolors: An Exhibition of Works Loaned by The Trustees of the British Museum, International Exhibitions Foundation tour, Cleveland Museum of Art, September–November 1977, Detroit Institute of Arts, December 1977–February 1978, Philadelphia Museum of Art, March–April 1978 (30).
1978
Turner 1775–1851, Haags Gemeentemuseum, The Hague, December 1978–February 1979 (49).
1979
Oleos y acuarelas de Joseph Mallord William Turner, Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, Venezuela, October[–?November] 1979 (BM 47).
1979
Exposicion del gran pintor ingles, William Turner: Oleos y acuarelas: Collecciones de la Tate Gallery, British Museum y otros museos ingleses, Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City, August–September 1979 (BM47).
1981
William Gaunt and Robin Hamlyn, Turner, revised ed., Oxford 1981, p.[78] fig.28.
1982
Evelyn Joll and Martin Butlin, L’opera completa di Turner 1830–1851, Classici dell’arte, Milan 1982, p.
1983
Turner and the Human Figure: Watercolours from the Turner Bequest, Loaned by the British Museum, Tate Gallery, London, December 1983–July 1984 (no catalogue).
1991
Turner: The Fourth Decade: Watercolours 1820–1830, Tate Gallery, London, January–May 1991 (67).
2005
Turner at Petworth, Tate Gallery, London, October 2005–April 2006 (no catalogue).
2002
Turner at Petworth, Petworth House, Petworth, July–September 2002 (60).
2007
Hockney on Turner Watercolours, Tate Britain, London, June 2007–February 2008 (no catalogue).
2015
Mr. Turner, Petworth House, Petworth, January–March 2015 (30, as ‘The Old Library, with an Artist and his Admirers’, 1827, reproduced in colour).
References
1909
A.J. Finberg, A Complete Inventory of the Drawings of the Turner Bequest, London 1909, vol.II, p.746, CCXLIV 102, as ‘The artist and his admirers’.
1914
Isaac J. Williams, Catalogue of an Exhibition of Welsh Drawings by J.M.W. Turner, R.A., exhibition catalogue, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff 1914, no.132.
1947
[Humphrey Brooke], Turner 1775–1851: Tentoonstelling in het Stedelijk Museum te Amsterdam georganiseerd door de Tate Gallery voor de British Council, exhibition catalogue, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam 1947, no.52 as one of ‘Impressions at Petworth’.
1947
[Humphrey Brooke], William Turner 1775–1851: Die Ausstellung wurde von der Tate Gallery für den British Council organisiert, exhibition catalogue, Berner Kunstmuseum, Bern 1947, no.52b as one of ‘Impressions at Petworth’.
1948
[Humphrey Brooke], Turner 1775–1851: Tentoonstelling van schilderijen ingericht door de Tate Gallery voor The British Council in het Ministerie van Openbaar Onderwijs van Belgie, exhibition catalogue, Palais voor Schone Kunst, Brussels and Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Liège (‘Luik’) 1948, no.52c as one of ‘Impressions at Petworth’.
1948
[Humphrey Brooke], Turner 1775–1851: Exposition de peintures organisée par la Tate Gallery pour le British Council, exhibition catalogue, Musée de l’Orangerie, Paris 1948, no.52c as one of ‘Impressions at Petworth’.
1950
J. Isaacs, Aquarelle aus dem Turner-Nachlass im Britischen Museum veranstaltet vom British Council, exhibition British Council German tour, 1950, no.10c as one of ‘Impressions at Petworth’.
1951
John Rothenstein, The Turner Collection from Petworth, exhibition catalogue, Tate Gallery, London 1951.
1961
J. Isaacs, J.W.M. [sic] Turner 1775–1851: Watercolours: On Loan to the National Gallery of Victoria on the Occasion of its Centenary from the Turner Bequest by Courtesy of the Trustees and Director of the British Museum, London, with the Assistance of the British Council, exhibition catalogue, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne 1961 no.16b as ‘An artist at work’.
1963
Basil Gray, Edward Croft-Murray and Martin Butlin, J.M.W. Turner, exhibition catalogue, Bridgestone Gallery, Tokyo 1963, no. 19c as ‘An artist at work’.
1964
Basil Gray, Edward Croft-Murray and Martin Butlin, Turner 1775–1851: An Exhibition of Watercolours from the British Museum London, Presented in Association with the British Council, exhibition catalogue, City Hall Art Gallery, Hong Kong 1964, no.19c as ‘An artist at work’.
1964
[Sir] John Rothenstein and Martin Butlin, Turner, London 1964, p.44, pl.91(a).
1964
Michael Kitson, J.M.W. Turner, London 1964, pp.37 reproduced, 78 as ‘Petworth House: The Old Library’.
1969
John Gage, Colour in Turner: Poetry and Truth, London 1969, p.35, 170.
1970
Lord Egremont and Kenneth Clark, Turner at Petworth: An Exhibition Arranged by the National Trust of Drawings of Petworth by J.M.W. Turner R.A. 1775–1851, exhibition catalogue, Petworth House, Petworth 1970.
1974
Martin Butlin, Andrew Wilton and John Gage, Turner 1775–1851, exhibition catalogue, Royal Academy, London 1974, p.111, 114 reproduced as ‘Petworth: an Artist painting in a Room with a Large Fanlight’.
1975
Gerald Wilkinson, Turner’s Colour Sketches 1820–34, London 1975, p.60 reproduced.
1975
Luke Herrmann, Turner: Paintings, Watercolours, Prints & Drawings, London 1975, pp.37, [177] pl.135, 233.
1975
Ada Polak, ‘Turner på ny’, Kunst Kultur, 58 årgang, 1975, reproduced opposite p.232.
1975
Jack Lindsay, ‘Turner and Music: Part I’, Turner Society Journal, no.2, October 1975, p.17.
1977
Andrew Wilton, Turner Watercolors: An Exhibition of Works Loaned by The Trustees of the British Museum, exhibition catalogue, Cleveland Museum of Art 1977, no.30 reproduced as ‘Petworth: An Artist Painting in a Room with a Large Fanlight’.
1977
M. Yamazaki and S. Kijima, Turner, The Book of Great Masters, Japan 1977, p.[56] pl.28.
1977
Nobuyuki Senzoku, Turner, L’Art du Monde, Japan [and Paris?] 1977, pp.[93] pl.I, 123 reproduced, 124.
1978
John Sillevis, Nini Jonker and Hripsimé Visser, Turner 1775–1851, exhibition catalogue, Haags Gemeentemuseum, The Hague 1978, no.49, pp.91 and 119 reproduced as ‘Petworth, artist painting’.
1979
John Gage and Ana T. de Gradowska, Oleos y acuarelas de Joseph Mallord William Turner, exhibition catalogue, Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, Venezuela 1979, no.BM 47, p.45 reproduced.
1979
John Gage, Exposicion del gran pintor ingles, William Turner: Oleos y acuarelas: Collecciones de la Tate Gallery, British Museum y otros museos ingleses, exhibition catalogue, Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City 1979, no.BM47.
1982
Evelyn Joll and Martin Butlin, L’opera completa di Turner 1830–1851, Classici dell’arte, Milan 1982, p.188 under no.347.
1984
Katherine Solender, Dreadful Fire! Burning of the Houses of Parliament, exhibition catalogue, Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio 1984, pp.55, 74 note 18 [cited incorrectly as ‘CCLXIV’].
1984
Martin Butlin and Evelyn Joll, The Paintings of J.M.W. Turner, revised ed., New Haven and London 1984, p.192 under no.340.
1987
John Gage, J.M.W. Turner: ‘A Wonderful Range of Mind’, New Haven and London 1987, p.163, 166 fig.246.
1987
Andrew Wilton, Turner in his Time, London 1987, pp.155, [171] pl.234, 198.
1989
Martin Butlin, Mollie Luther and Ian Warrell, Turner at Petworth: Painter and Patron, London 1989, pp.14, 61, 70 note 1, 145, 146, 199 pl.49.
1989
Jeremy Robinson, The Light Eternal: A Study of J.M.W. Turner, Kidderminster 1989, pp.44, 116 note 89.
1990
Martin Butlin, Mollie Luther and Ian Warrell, Turner: Les Années Egremont: Chefs d’oeuvre inédits, trans. Tamara Préaud, Paris 1990, pl.49.
1990
Robert Cumming, Discovering Turner, London 1990, p.40 pl.8B, [36], 38.
1990
David Blayney Brown, The Art of J.M.W. Turner, London 1990, pp.134 reproduced, 135.
1990
Eric Shanes, Turner, London 1990, p.31 reproduced.
1991
Ian Warrell, Turner: The Fourth Decade: Watercolours 1820–1830, exhibition catalogue, Tate Gallery, London 1991, pp.13, 23 reproduced, 61 no.67 [cited as ‘D22674’].
1991
Michael Bockemühl, J.M.W. Turner 1775–1851: Die Welt des Lichts und der Farbe, Cologne 1991, pp.51 reproduced, 64.
1991
Evelyn Joll, ‘Turner: the Fourth Decade. Watercolours 1820–1830’, Turner Society News, no.58, August 1991, p.6.
1993
Michael Bockemühl, J.M.W. Turner 1775–1851: The World of Light and Colour, trans. Michael Claridge, Cologne 1993, pp.51 reproduced, 64.
1993
Joyce Townsend, Turner’s Painting Techniques, exhibition catalogue, Tate Gallery, London 1993, pp.17, 78 [80 in 2nd edition] Chapter 1 note 9.
1994
William Gaunt and Robin Hamlyn, Turner, London 1994, p.78 fig.28.
1997
Christopher Rowell, Petworth House, West Sussex, London 1997, p.86.
1997
Anthony Bailey, Standing in the Sun: A Life of J.M.W. Turner, London 1997, pp.319, 442 note 29.
2002
[Giles Waterfield], Langlands & Bell at Petworth: Turner Studio Residency Exhibition, exhibition catalogue, Petworth House, Petworth 2002, p.20.
2002
Christopher Rowell, Ian Warrell and David Blayney Brown, Turner at Petworth, exhibition catalogue, Petworth House, Petworth 2002, pp.150, 155 fig.147, 194 no.60.
2002
David Blayney Brown, Turner in the Tate Collection, London 2002, pp.14, 24, 25, 124 pl.79.
2004
Eric Shanes, Turner: The Life and Masterworks, New York 2004, p.37 reproduced.
2006
Sam Smiles, The Turner Book, Essential Artists, London [Tate Publishing] 2006, p.200 reproduced.
2006
Andrew Wilton, Turner in his Time, revised ed., London 2006, p.177 reproduced.
2007
David Blayney Brown, Turner Watercolours, exhibition catalogue, Tate Britain, London 2007, p.14, 72 reproduced.
2009
David Solkin (ed.), Turner and the Masters, exhibition catalogue, Tate Britain, London 2009, pp.174 under nos.64 and 65, 177 under nos.64 and 65, 230 note 5.
2010
Nicola Moorby and Ian Warrell (eds.), How to Paint like Turner, London 2010, pp.[2–3] (detail).
2013
Andrew Loukes in Jacqueline Riding and Loukes, Mr. Turner: an exhibition, exhibition catalogue, Petworth House, Petworth 2013, reproduced in colour on front cover (cropped), pp.21, 32 no.30, as ‘CCLXIV’ 102, ‘The Old Library, with an Artist and his Admirers’, 1827).
This is one of a large group of separate studies, most of which were made in gouache and watercolour on blue paper, associated with a visit to Petworth House in West Sussex, the home of the third Earl of Egremont. For more information, see the Introduction to this section.
The light-filled interior seen here is Petworth’s Old Library, a room used as a studio by artists staying in the house; for more information and a list of other studies of this room, see the entry for Tate D22685 (Turner Bequest CCXLIV 23).
The subject is a painter at work on a canvas, his sitters arranged in front of him near the centre of the study, with a further female figure on the left. David Blayney Brown has argued that it is unlikely the artist is meant to represent Turner himself, as Turner generally worked in private and the artist represented here is a portrait painter, perhaps the Petworth regular Thomas Phillips.1 The study may, however, reflect Turner’s appreciation of the room from an artist’s perspective: he emphasises the unusual window that floods the space with natural light and is key to its suitability as a studio. Interestingly, one of Turner’s other studies of this room (Tate D22691; Turner Bequest CCXLIV 29) portrays the same round-topped window rather differently (and more accurately), leading the Turner scholar Ian Warrell to suggest an element of architectural fantasy in relation to the present sheet.2 As with some of the studies of Petworth’s bedrooms (see the introduction to this subsection), some mystery remains with regards to how far Turner portrays the realities of life at Petworth and how much is imagined.
Verso:
The verso was not available for inspection at the time of cataloguing.
Elizabeth Jacklin
February 2019
How to cite
Elizabeth Jacklin, ‘Petworth House: The Old Library (‘The Artist and his Admirers’) 1827’, catalogue entry, February 2019, in David Blayney Brown (ed.), J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours, Tate Research Publication, November 2024, https://www