Lot 187
  • 187

Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A.

Estimate
250,000 - 350,000 USD
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Description

  • Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A.
  • The Valley of Washburn and Leathley Church, England
  • Watercolor and bodycolor on gray paper

Provenance

Walter Ramsden Hawkesworth Fawkes (1769-1825);
by descent to W.R. Fawkes, his sale London, Christie's, 2 July 1937, lot 49;
Allan Dawson until 1951;
with W/S Fine Art. Ltd. (Andrew Wyld), by 2007;
sale, London, Sotheby's, 4 December 2008, lot 147;
where acquired by the present owner

Exhibited

London, Agnew's, Centenary Loan Exhibition of Water-colour Drawings by J.M.W. Turner R.A. 1951, no. 28;
London, Agnew's, 150th Anniversary Exhibition: Paintings and Watercolours by J.M.W. Turner R.A., 1967, no. 46;
London, W/S Fine Art Ltd., Landscape on Paper, 2007, no. 15

Literature

A. Wilton, The Life and Work of J.M.W. Turner, Freiburg 1979, no. 627, p. 372

Condition

Support: Turner has used a sheet of grey paper to support this watercolour. At present it is inlaid into a thin card, the sheet has a lens tissue lining on the verso. The condition is good. At some stage the sheet has been foxed and this has been removed, but is still visible in UV light and some of these areas have been lightly retouched. Medium: The watercolour medium is in a good condition. There is a little loss to the white bodycolour in some places.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

This fine watercolor was drawn in circa 1818 and was based upon sketches which have survived in the Turner Bequest at the Tate Britain.  A large pencil drawing (measuring 446 by 592 mm), titled Leathley Old Church (TB CLIV V), is particularly close to the present work.  It includes some of the same features that appear here, such as the distinct line of trees that are silhouetted on the distant skyline and the old church itself. 

Selecting an elevated viewpoint, Turner depicts Leathley village and church in the distance, while in a pastoral scene in the foreground a milkmaid pours milk from a small to a larger wooden pail.  By using a high viewpoint Turner has been able to introduce the broad sweep of the river that curves towards the centre of the composition.  This in turn helps to focus the viewer's attention on the Church of St. Oswald beyond.

This work originates from one of Turner's summer stays at Farnley Hall, the seat of Walter Fawkes (1769-1825), the first owner of this watercolour; Leathley is only a few miles from Farnley.  Fawkes' hospitality brought out the best in Turner.  He was not only Turner's most important patron up until the early 1820s, but also a beloved friend who enabled the artist to use Farnley Hall as a studio as well as a home.

By way of contrast to the dirt, dampness and lack of space in London, stays at Farnley enabled Turner to breathe the fresh air of Yorkshire.  There he was able to shoot, walk, draw and (almost equally important to him), fish.  One can imagine Turner closing his sketchbook early in the evening and raising his rod on rivers like the Washburn in this picture.  This relaxation seems to have been a great source of creative energy for the artist and, as the Turner scholar David Hill wrote: 'it is impossible to know Turner without knowing him at Farnley. This was Turner at his best.'1

1. D. Hill, In Turner's Footsteps, London 1984, p. 17