- 99
Joseph Mallord William Turner R.A.
Description
- Joseph Mallord William Turner R.A.
- Rhodes
- Watercolor over pencil heightened with bodycolor, pen and red ink and scratching out
- 13 by 20.5 cm.; 5 1/8 by 8 1/8 in
Provenance
John Ruskin (1819-1900);
L.B. Mozley, his sale, London, Christie's, 27 May 1865, lot 182;
J. Leigh Clare, his sale, London, Christie's, 28 March 1868, lot 101 (bt. Cox);
W.G. Raphael, London;
by family descent
ENGRAVED:
by S. Fisher, 1835, for W. & E. Finden's Illustrations of the Bible, 1835-36 (R. 595)
Literature
Sir W. Armstrong, Turner, 1902, p. 273;
W.G. Rawlinson, The Engraved Works of J.M.W. Turner, 1908-13, vol. II, p. 311, no. 595;
A. Wilton, The Life and Work of J.M.W. Turner, 1979, p. 450, cat. no. 1259;
M. Omer, Turner and The Bible, 1981, p. 40, cat. no. 24 (engraving);
Idem, J.M.W. Turner and the romantic vision of the Holy Land and the Bible, 1996, p. 124 (engraving illustrated)
Condition
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
In this wonderfully atmospheric watercolor, through a combination of light, color and fine detail, Turner seems to have bought the port of Rhodes to life.
Turner's view shows the ancient walled city bathed in soft sunlight. In the foreground three women in Greek dress congregate around a large well, the water for which appears to be pumped by the figure on the extreme left of the composition. One of the women reclines lazily upon the flagstones, resting her arm on a water jug. To her right a man, perhaps on his way to a market, can be seen surrounded by a large number of jugs and vases. Behind these figures the viewer's eye is led down the hill to the walls, towers and harbor of the city. The tall tower at the left-hand side of the harbor's entrance occupies the place where one of the seven wonders of the world, the Colossus of the Sun, once stood. Beyond the sea, which is dotted with tiny sailing boats, lie the coast of Asia Minor and the mountains of Caramania.
This watercolor is one of twenty-six designs by Turner drawn between 1833 and 1836 for Finden's Illustrations of the Bible. John Ruskin, on studying these watercolors, described them as 'quite unrivalled examples of his richest executive power on a small scale'.1 W.G. Rawlinson in his book on Turner's engraved work, described them as 'strikingly poetical'.2
The Finden brothers employed two other artists to create designs for this publication; Stanfield and Callcott. Like Turner they had never travelled either to the Holy Land or the eastern Mediterranean. As a result the three professional artists relied on sketches made mainly by amateur artists to provide the basis of their work.
The present watercolor was based upon a drawing by Sir Charles Barry (1795-1860) who had conducted an extensive Grand Tour to the Holy Land and the East between 1817-20. Despite relying on another artist's sketches in order to carry out this commission, John Ruskin was adamant that Turner produced works that were far more than mere copies. He wrote 'of one thing I am certain Turner never drew anything that could be seen, without having seen it. That is to say that though he would draw Jerusalem from someone else's sketch, it would be nevertheless, entirely his own experience of ruined walls'. [3]
1. E.T. Cook and A. Wedderburn, ed., The Works of John Ruskin, 1903-1912, XIII, p. 447
2. W.G. Rawlinson, The Engraved Work of J.M.W. Turner, 1908-13, vol. 1, pl. VIII
3. Cook and Wedderburn, ed., op. cit., XII, p. 42