Past

Turner in January 2012

  • 1st − 31st January 2012 | Scottish National Gallery

Henry Vaughan

Born 7 April 1809 in Southwark in South London, Henry Vaughan came from a Quaker family. Although he later moved away from the area, Vaughan retained his links with Southwark and in 1857 he paid for the building of alms houses there. He sustained this interest in philanthropy throughout his life.

One of the most discerning and public-spirited Victorian collectors, Vaughan was a private and cultivated man, able to pursue his passions at a time when prices for paintings and drawings were gradually increasing. He brought to his collecting a seriousness and rigour through its focus on Turner and Constable, whose works had often divided critics.

Vaughan also clearly endorsed John Ruskin’s belief that carefully selected works of art could inspire a growing gallery-going public and displayed remarkable generosity by donating his collection to museums and galleries across Britain and Ireland.

Next: Vaughan and Turner

Two sailing boats tossed around convey the force of the wind and waves. They pale into insignificance, however, beneath the magnificent sky. A break in the dark clouds reveals a brilliant patch of sunlight which illuminates the distant coast. Turner made full use of the blue paper and body-colour to achieve a remarkable intensity of colour. He began to work on blue paper in the mid 1820s and this drawing was probably made around that time.

Sea View Joseph Mallord William Turner

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The distinctive architecture of the Rialto Bridge is depicted in shade, immediately enhancing its powerful presence across the Grand Canal. Turner used the whiteness of the paper itself to describe the sun bleached facades of the buildings, simply suggesting the architectural detail with a few light touches of the brush. The contrast of light and shadow between buildings and bridge is striking. Turner also captured the colourful character of the busy canal traffic and its reflections in the water. This drawing is connected with the artist's last visit to Venice in 1840.

The Rialto, Venice Joseph Mallord William Turner

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A catch of fish is sorted and prepared in the foreground on the harbour quay. This bustle of human activity, captured with a few brushstrokes and echoed in a fishing boat on the right, contrasts with the relative calm of the harbour and open sea beyond. The dawn sky punctuated by the masts of fishing boats dominates the scene. Turner used the blue paper to great effect, conveying the colourful transition from night to day. This drawing may have been made during the mid 1820s when Turner first began to use blue paper.

Harbour View Joseph Mallord William Turner

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Turner conveys the breathtaking grandeur and beauty of Llanberis Lake and the highest peaks of the Welsh mountains in this work, which is based on drawings he made in 1799. Watercolour washes suggest the misty atmosphere of the mountain range, while the detailed foreground is emphasised with touches of body-colour. The two men fishing watched by a mother and child suggest the awesome scale of the scene. This highly finished view was painted to be engraved for the series of plates, 'Picturesque Views in England and Wales', commissioned by the publisher Charles Heath. The first print appeared in 1826, but the venture failed commercially.

Llanberis Lake and Snowdon - Caernarvon, Wales Joseph Mallord William Turner

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