Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A.

Probably Thomas Tomkison (c. 1764-1853);
H.A.J. Munro, of Novar (1794-1864);
his sale, London, Christie's, 6 April 1878, lot 93, bt. Vokins;
J. Grant Morris,
sale, London, London, 23 April 1898, lot 63, bt. Agnew's;
with Agnew's, London;
R.E. Tatham;
C. Hiltermann;
sale, London, Christie's, 14 June 1977, lot 151, bt. Oscar & Peter Johnson;
with Oscar & Peter Johnson Ltd. London;
Private Collection, Britain

London, Moon, Boys, and Graves Gallery, 1833, no. 40;
London, Guildhall, Pictures and Drawings by J.M.W. Turner and some of his Contemporaries, 1899;
London, Agnew's, Exhibition of Water-Colour Drawings by Turner, Cox and De Wint, 1924, no. 40

Sir W. Armstrong, Turner, London 1908, pp. 187 & 265;
W.G. Rawlinson, The Engraved Work of J.M.W. Turner, R.A., London 1908, vol. I, p. 130;
A. Wilton, The Life and Work of J.M.W. Turner, Fribourg 1979, p. 394, no. 805;
E. Shanes, Turner's Picturesque Views in England and Wales 1825-1838, London 1983, p. 28, cat. no. 20;
E. Shanes, Turner's England 1810-38, London 1990, p. 182, no. 152;
I. Warrell, Turner's Wessex, Architecture and Ambition, London 2015, pp. 132-4, fig. 130

Engraved:

by J.C. Varrall, 1829, for Heath's Picturesque Views in England and Wales

We are thankful to Jane McAusland for providing the following condition report. Support This watercolour by Turner is attached at the edges to a poor-quality board. A little glue shows on the right edge and at the top to the left. There is a small brown stain on the buildings on the left. Otherwise the condition of the support is very good. Medium The watercolour medium also appears to be in a good condition. Conservation Note It would be possible for a conservator to remove this watercolour from the board. 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."

This watercolour dates to circa 1827 and shows Malmesbury Abbey from the north, on a glorious summer’s morning. It is still very early and although the great ruins are already bathed in a golden light, in the valley below, a blue/grey mist can be seen rising off the cool waters of the River Avon. The foreground is flooded with light and while, to the right, cattle warm themselves in the sun, to the left, a milkmaid is held in conversation by an admirer. Turner adds to the subtle drama of this meeting by including two children, who seem to be spying on the couple from the nearby bushes.

This celebrated watercolour was among the first works to be engraved for Charles Heath’s publishing project Picturesque Views in England and Wales. In February 1825, Heath wrote enthusiastically to a friend ‘I have just begun a most splendid work [with] Turner the Academician. He is making me 120 drawings of England and Wales – I have got four and they are the finest things I ever saw… I mean to have them engraved by all the first Artists.’¹ The publication was to be produced in parts and the first tranche was ready by March 1827. Malmesbury was engraved in 1829 by J.C. Varrall and included in the fifth volume. In the summer of 1833, Heath organised an exhibition of sixty-six watercolours from the series, including the present work, at the Moon, Boys and Graves Gallery at 6 Pall Mall, London. After a soirée one evening at the gallery, The Times reported that ‘two hundred artists and literati’² had been present and it was also noted that ‘Turner himself was there, his coarse, stout person, heavy look and homely manners contrasting strangely with the marvellous beauty and grace of the surrounding creations of his pencil.’³ Despite the critical success of the exhibition, the engravings were unprofitable for Heath. By 1836 he had decided to reduce the number of prints to ninety-six and in 1838 the project was abandoned all together.

Malmesbury Abbey lies about thirty miles to the north-east of Bristol and the 12^th century ruins had captivated Turner since his first visit, aged only sixteen, in 1791. He was to return there the following year and once again in 1798. On that last occasion, he made a detailed pencil drawing of the abbey from a distance in his Hereford Court Sketchbook and it would seem that that sheet provided the starting point for the present work.⁴

In Malmesbury Abbey, Turner is working at the very height of his creative powers and the watercolour demonstrates the dazzling effects and techniques that he had perfected by the middle of the 1820s. Above all, his sense of colour is exquisite and the refined combination of pinks, yellows, greens and blues anticipates those great masters of the second half of the 19^th century: the French Impressionists. 

This work has a long and interesting provenance. Its first owner was probably Thomas Tomkison (c.1764-1853), a celebrated piano maker, who had known Turner since their boyhood in Covent Garden.⁵ According to the original catalogue of the 1833, Moon, Boys and Graves Gallery exhibition, alongside Malmesbury, Tomkinson [sic] also owned another four watercolours from the England and Wales Series.⁶ The work later belonged to the legendary Turner collector, Hugh Munro of Novar (see lot 191 for more details), before gracing several other distinguished collections. It last appeared at auction in June 1977.

We are grateful to Ian Warrell and Cecilia Powell for their help when cataloguing this work.

1. E. Shanes, lit.op.cit. p.13
2. E. Shanes, lit.op.cit., p.16
3. Ibid
4. Tate Britain TB XXXVIII I
5. The spelling of the name Tomkison varies throughout the literature. Sometimes it is spelt: Tomkison, on other occasions: Tomkinson and on others: Tomiknson.
6. E. Shanes, lit.op.cit, p.157