Joseph Mallord William Turner R.A.

John Edward Taylor (1830-1905);
his wife, Martha Elizabeth Taylor, neé Warner (1828-1912);
their executor's sale, London, Christie's, 8 July 1912, lot 117;
G.M. Booth;
Miss Bickham;
Kenneth Bird, C.B.E. (1887-1965);
John O' Gordon;
by whom sold, London, Christie's, 14 March 1967, lot 122; bt. Agnew's;
with Agnew's, London; by whom sold in 1967 to Eileen Young (£3,307);
by descent to the present owner

London, Centenary Loan Exhibition of Watercolour Drawings by J.M.W. Turner, R.A., 1951, no. 101

We would like to thank Jane McAusland for conducting the following condition report: Support Turner has used a sheet of fine wove paper to support this watercolour. At present the sheet is laid down onto another sheet which may be contemporary with the artist as Turner often laid down his watercolours on other papers, sometimes before working on them. This backing sheet has been thinned at the edges on all sides during removal from an earlier mounting. The verso also has the remains of hinging at the top edge. The watercolour's top support sheet is in a good condition. (see note below). The small crease in the sheet, lower left at the foot is natural to the paper which is very slightly 'time' stained. A small amount of paste is adhered to the edge, top right. Medium The watercolour medium is very fresh and bright, though the yellow and orange may have dropped back a little as the image has been exposed to light. The top left corner is slightly scuffed. Conservation note This watercolour is in a very good condition. The backing could be removed, however any major treatment like that might put the delicacy of the work in jeopardy as removal of the glue might cause distortion. Two other points that should be also considered are that this paper is in no way harming the support sheet, as the quality is good and also this backing paper could be Turner's original mounting. Note: This work was viewed outside studio conditions.
"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."

In this plein air watercolour, full of energy and vibrancy, Turner has captured a dramatic evening sky that melts into a tranquil sea. While the sunset flashes red, orange, yellow and blue, in the foreground to the right, Turner, with rapidly applied brushstrokes, suggests tall reeds and a wooden jetty.

The work has been tentatively dated to the early 1840s and research has revealed that it was executed on Charles Ansell's 1828 wove paper, which Turner is known to have used on several occasions throughout the 1830s and 1840s. Two such works survive as part of the Turner Bequest (Tate Britain) namely: Storm Clouds (TBCCCLXIV 39) and Sunset (Possibly Boulogne sur Mer) (CCCLXIV 119), and these share a similar luminous palate and free handing of paint with the present work.

The work can also be compared stylistically to pages within several of the sketchbooks in the Turner Bequest, such as the Ambleteuse and Wimereux Sketchbook (TBCCCLVII), the Boulogne Sketchbook (TB CCCLX), and the Dieppe and Kent Sketchbook (TB CCCLXI). Many of the works within these books 'share an interest in cloud formations and the effects of weather conditions, which Turner had closely observed all his life but which, during the 1840s, were executed not just as studies for future paintings but stemming from a deep necessity to translate his reactions to nature in painting'.¹

Although the watercolour's viewpoint has not been precisely confirmed, it has been suggested that it shows the Kent coast in the vicinity of Margate. Turner visited this fashionable seaside town regularly during the 1840s, using it as a retreat from chaotic London. While there he lodged with Mrs Sophie Booth, who in 1846, became his housekeeper in London.

Turner appears to have had a great affection for Margate and the east coast of Kent in general. John Ruskin wrote that Turner 'knew the colours of the clouds over the sea, from the Bay of Naples to the Hebrides; and being once asked where, in Europe, were to be seen the loveliest skies, answered instantly 'In the Isle of Thanet' (the Kent Coast).²

Several distinguished collectors have owned this watercolour.  As well as Kenneth Bird (1887-1965), the cartoonist and editor of Punch Magazine, chief amongst these was John Edward Taylor (1830-1905). The son of the founder of the Manchester Guardian, Taylor over his lifetime assembled a highly important art collection and in 1892 he bequeathed 154 watercolours (including twenty-four works by Turner) to the newly established Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester. The remainder of his collection, including the present work, was dispersed by Christie's, London in July 1912, over the course of twelve days.

We would like to thank Ian Warrell and Peter Bower for their assistance in cataloguing this work.

1. C. Nugent and M. Croal, Turner Watercolours from Manchester, Manchester 1997, p. 118
2. Ed. E.T. Cook and A. Wedderburn, The Works of John Ruskin, vol. XXVII, London 1903-12, p. 164