Joseph Mallord William Turner, ?Study for ‘The Angel Standing in the Sun’ c.1841–6. Tate.
This room presents a selection of the many thousands of the works on paper included in the Turner Bequest, held at Tate Britain
As we celebrate Turner’s 250th birthday, a decades-long project to understand this vast treasure trove is reaching its completion. The final sections of the online catalogue, which has been growing steadily since 2013, are being published in his anniversary year.
Turner bequeathed many paintings to the nation. The Bequest was expanded after Turner’s death to comprise all the work in his studio, finished or unfinished. This included 309 sketchbooks dating from around 1789 to 1845 containing over 30,000 pages of drawings, watercolour studies and inscriptions. There were also thousands of separate sheets, ranging from Royal Academy exhibits and finished designs for print projects like the Rivers of England, to pencil studies made while touring and preparatory watercolours known as ‘colour beginnings’.
The online catalogue work builds on a vast body of research dating from the late 1850s onwards. It has involved reconstructing the artist’s various tours, grouping related sketchbooks, drawings and watercolours, and identifying the sites, locations and subjects represented.
The fully documented and illustrated online catalogue of the Bequest, amounting to around 37,500 entries, has been produced by Tate curators, Turner scholars and Tate’s Research department. There will never be a last word on Turner, but the project is a basis for the ongoing exploration and enjoyment of Turner’s legacy.