About this artwork

This side view of the falls appears to have been painted at the very edge of the water. Turner adopted a particular technique to evoke waterfall spray and highlights on the water. He prepared his paper with grey wash, before building up the image with layers of translucent colour. To create the white foam, he rubbed and scraped at the paper, removing the pigment to expose the surface underneath. Finally he applied watercolour with a pen to define the contours of the landscape and create volume from flat areas of wash.

Updated December 2022

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Joseph Mallord William Turner

Joseph Mallord William Turner