About this artwork

Bell Rock is the oldest surviving rock lighthouse in the British Isles. It stands on a partially submerged reef off the east coast of Scotland, 11 miles from Arbroath. Designed by Robert Stevenson (1772–1850), Bell Rock was built using revolutionary methods. Stevenson commissioned Turner to produce an illustration for his book, Account of the Bell Rock Lighthouse in 1819. Although he had not visited the site, Turner created this dramatic scene, using his vast experience of painting the sea. It is based on Stevenson’s description of a storm battering the lighthouse.

Updated December 2022

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  • artist:
  • title:
    Bell Rock Lighthouse
  • date created:
    1819
  • materials:
    Watercolour and gouache with scratching out on paper
  • measurements:
    30.60 x 45.50 cm (framed: 59.40 x 72.10 x 5.00 cm)
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    Purchased by Private Treaty Sale 1989 with the aid of funds from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Pilgrim Trust
  • accession number:
    D 5181 A
  • gallery:
  • subject:
  • glossary:
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Joseph Mallord William Turner

Joseph Mallord William Turner