Rome, from San Pietro in Montorio, c. 1820. © The Courtauld Gallery
Exhibition Review – Jennie Gillions visits the Courtauld Gallery London for Paths to Fame: Turner Watercolours from The Courtauld, running until January 25 2009.
The Courtauld Gallery is an appropriate setting for this exhibition; as a young man Joseph Mallord William Turner spent a lot of time in the building, studying architectural draughtsmanship as a student of the Royal Academy Schools.
It was, we are told, an important place for him and Paths to Fame showcases watercolours and pencil sketches, encompassing works spanning his entire career and several countries. The collection includes loans from the Tate as well as pieces from The Courtauld’s own collection.
Whether Turner would have approved of the easily affordable ticket price is debatable, however. The exhibition's intention is to plot his insatiable appetite for fame and self-promotion, and is divided into four appropriately titled themes: Early Ambition, The Lure of the Continent, Book Illustrations c.1816 – 32 and Sand, Sea and Sky; Margate and Ruskin.
On Lake Lucerne looking towards Fluelen, c.1841. © The Courtauld Gallery
Early Ambition starts with ‘Old Hotwells House, Bristol’ painted when Turner was 15 or 16 years old. An early indication of his love for experimentation, ‘Shipping off the Coast, near Dover’ (c.1794-5) moves away from the accurate topographical drawing he'd been taught, towards a more dramatic representation with bold colours and an unrealistic composition.
‘Tewkesbury Abbey from the North-East’ (1793) is peaceful and pretty, with a central figure that supposedly emphasises the picturesque setting. Figures were not Turner's forte though, and it's questionable whether this one adds anything.
From the 1790s onwards, Turner dedicated his life to travelling, painting and publishing. He was aware of art's commercial potential and at this time was experimenting with transparencies and prints that could be turned into engravings.
Mont Blanc from above Courmayeur, c. 1810. © The Courtauld Gallery
‘Chepstow Castle’ (1793) is a double-sided transparency, one of 15 paintings created for Copper-Plate Magazine. The resulting engraving is also on display; interestingly the engraver apparently didn't think much of Turner's composition, and changed the perspective.
Until 1802 he only travelled within Britain, but a brief peace between Britain and France allowed him to go to the continent for the first time and paint landscapes he had long yearned to see. The paintings in this section showcase Turner's mastery of a more artistic and imaginative style.
‘The Drachenfels’ (1817) and ‘The Upper Falls of the Reichenbach’ (1802) are especially evocative. His tendency to rearrange landscapes to make them more aesthetically pleasing is evident in ‘Mont Blanc from above Courmayeur’ (c.1810), in which the distant peaks are hugely exaggerated.
Crook of Lune, looking towards Hornby Castle c. 1816-18. © The Courtauld Gallery
Turner's friend and patron Walter Hawkes commissioned several paintings of Rome and its environs, one of which, ‘Rome, from San Pietro in Montorio’ (c.1820), is in this collection. Whereas ‘Reichenbach’ and ‘The Drachenfels’ are sullen, ‘Rome from San Pietro’ is filled with warm light giving it a cosy feel.
Fawkes may have specifically requested figures in the foreground; if he didn't, as with ‘Tewkesbury Abbey’, it's doubtful whether they are entirely necessary.
The third section is concerned with watercolours destined for books. ‘Crook of Lune, looking towards Hornby Castle’ (c.1816-18) is a gorgeous, sumptuous painting that was created for a book of plates on Yorkshire. We are fortunate to have some of Turner's preparatory work alongside the finished pieces, and can trace Crook of Lune's development from its accompanying colour study.
Dawn after the Wreck, c. 1841. © The Courtauld Gallery
The historical painting of ‘Colchester, Essex’, with its unusual Civil War theme, was for a book called Picturesque Views in England and Wales. As a mature artist, Turner was a rich man; much of his wealth came from his ability to gain commissions for publications such as these.
'Sand, Sea and Sky; Margate and Ruskin' contains work from Turner's Margate sketchbook. Turner was, at the time, in poor health and the poetic, ethereal style of works such as ‘A Boat on a Rough Sea’ indicates a sense of his own mortality.
He was concerned with weather, light and colour rather than precision. One of Turner's major talents lay in creating mood and a feeling of being in his landscapes that negated the need for accuracy. When his paintings do not excite emotions, they fall flat. ‘Heaped Thundercloud over Sea and Land’ (c.1835-40) should be rousing; the glowering clouds are ominous and the colours energetic, but it is strangely lacking in character.
Colchester, Essex, c. 1825-26. © The Courtauld Gallery
‘Margate Pier’ (c.1835-40) has enough atmosphere for both paintings. Windswept, cold figures rendered perfectly from minimal brushstrokes huddle on the pier. The dog on the beach in ‘Dawn After the Wreck’ is visibly shivering.
This section of Paths to Fame stresses the roles of collectors and friends, including art critic John Ruskin, as promoters of Turner's work. After Turner's death, Ruskin bought the Margate sketchbook from Turner's landlady, and was suitably voluble in his praise for it.
Turner exhibitions are, as the curator points out, common. In Paths to Fame the Courtauld has succeeded in doing something beautifully different, offering visitors the chance to experience a new perspective on Turner’s career.
