J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours

From the south side of the south-western bend of the Grand Canal, looking east, the Palazzo Civran Badoer Barozzi appears at the far left, followed by the opening of the Campo San Vidal, with the campanile of the church of the same dedication at the far end. The Ponte dell’Accademia now springs from this point. Next come the Palazzi Cavalli-Franchetti and Barbaro before the straight run down to the domes of Santa Maria della Salute on the south side. On the right appears to be the Accademia (Santa Maria della Carità), with the Palazzo Brandolin Rota and others beyond.

Finberg later annotated his basic 1909 Inventory entry (‘The Grand Canal’): ‘Little bit of P. Giustinian Lolin on left, then S. Vitale, with P. Cavallo beyond, Salute in dist. in centre. cf CCCXV.15’.1 In noting the last point he recognised effectively the same view, albeit made independently, as in a slightly larger and less detailed watercolour on white paper in the 1840 Grand Canal and Giudecca sketchbook (Tate D32131; Turner Bequest CCCXV 15).2 There is some question, as discussed in the Introduction to this subsection, as to whether the present variant dates from the same year or Turner’s second visit to Venice, in 1833. He had made a detailed pencil drawing from nearby in the 1819 Milan to Venice sketchbook (Tate D14448–D14449; Turner Bequest CLXXV 69a–70).

Without further elaboration, in 1881 John Ruskin categorised this sheet among twenty-five Turner Bequest subjects ‘chiefly in Venice. Late time, extravagant, and showing some of the painter’s worst and final faults; but also, some of his peculiar gifts in a supreme degree.’3

Technical notes:

As discussed in the Introduction to this subsection, in the context of Turner’s 1833 Continental tour including Venice, Ian Warrell has noted his use of grey paper by Bally, Ellen and Steart,1 ‘from at least four different batches’, and it is ‘possible’ that Tate D32205–D32210 (Turner Bequest CCCXVII 20–25), including the present subject, relate to that occasion,2 or 1840, when similar paper was used extensively (see Tate D32180–D32181, D32183–D32184, D32200–D32201, D32203–D32204, D32212, D32215, D32217, D33883; Turner Bequest CCCXVII 1, 2, 4, 5, 15, 16, 18, 19, 27–30, 32, CCCXLI 183).3

Verso:

Blank; inscribed in pencil ‘26’ above right of centre, ascending vertically; stamped in black with Turner Bequest monogram over ‘CCCXVII – 25’ and inscribed in pencil ‘D32210’ towards bottom left.