Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A.

Sale, Basel, Auctiones S.A., 24 January 1970, lot 55 (as View of the Mosel valley and Coblenz);
Martin Bodmer;
his sale, New York, Christie's, 23 January 2002, lot 160 (as View of a Town in an Alpine Landscape, with a Bridge across a Lake)

The Burlington Magazine, January 1970, p. xxxvii

This watercolour has remained in good condition. The colours may have softened slightly but their tones are comparable with the palette Turner employed during his 1836 tour of the Alps. The paper has remained well preserved. At the upper right hand corner there is a soft crease and there are also one or two very minor foxmarks. These, however, can only be seen on very close inspection. The work has not been laid down. It is houses behind museum quality glass. The image in the printed catalogue fails to give a true impression of Turner's lightness of touch and balanced composition.
"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."

Until recently the subject of this watercolour had been unknown. However Ian Warrell has now been able positively to identify the view as the city of Aosta in the Italian Alps.  Turner depicts the scene from the south side of the River Baltea.  To the right, the Pont Suza leads the eye across the water, while the mountains behind, captured in myriad colours, shield the entrance to the Great St. Bernard Pass.

The watercolour dates from Turner’s 1836 tour of the Continent, a year in which he travelled for a time with his great patron Hugh Munro of Novar (1787-1864).  The pair travelled extensively, journeying through France to Geneva, exploring the valley of the Arve and the Mont Blanc region.  When they reached Courmayeur, they dropped down into the beautiful Val D’Aosta and stopped for a few days in the city of Aosta.  Shortly afterwards they left the Alps, passing through Ivrea, and parted company in Turin.

In the 19^th Century, Aosta was celebrated for its antiquity and beautiful situation and Turner did not miss the opportunity to record it from a number of different viewpoints.  There are six pencil studies in his Ford Bard Sketchbook,¹ some of which closely relate to the present work, while a further two drawings are held in Tate Britain.²  In addition to this, there is a watercolour, painted slightly from the right of the present view, in a private collection.³ The subtle colour range that Turner has employed in the present work is typical of his palette during this particular Alpine tour.

When writing about Turner's late Swiss watercolours, John Ruskin noted that 'I look upon them as in some respects more valuable than his finished drawings, or his oil pictures, because they are the simple records of his first impressions and first purposes, and in most instances as true to the character of the places they represent as they are admirable in composition.’⁴ 

We are grateful to Ian Warrell for his help in cataloguing this lot.

1. Tate, Britain CCXCIV 63, 64a, 65a, 66, 67, 85a
2. Tate, Britain CCCXLIV 404 & 394
3. A. Wilton, The Life and Work of J.M.W. Turner, Fribourg 1979, no. 1510
4. E.T. Cook and A. Wedderburn, The Works of John Ruskin, London 1904, vol. XIII, pp. 189-190