Rising from a modest background, Joseph Mallord William
Turner (1775–1851) became the leading British artist of his era. Over
the course of six decades, he transformed the genre of landscape through works
that proclaimed him heir to the old masters even while they heralded a new and
visionary direction in 19th-century painting. Known for his technical brilliance
and startling use of light and color, he incorporated learned references to
literature, mythology, and historical events in his pictures. His commitment
to the idea that watercolor equaled oil painting in complexity and expressive
power raised the standard for others working in the medium. And his exquisitely
rendered works, heralded for their virtuosity, inspired generations of artists.
This exhibition is the most comprehensive survey of Turner's work ever presented
in the United States. More than 145 paintings and watercolors reveal the astonishing
talent and imagination of this artist—whom Alfred, Lord Tennyson called
"The Shakespeare of landscape."
Joseph Mallord William Turner
British, 1775 - 1851
The Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute, Venice,
1843
oil on canvas, 62 x 93 cm (24 3/8 x 36 5/8 in.)
Given in memory of Governor Alvan T. Fuller by The Fuller Foundation, Inc.
1961.2.3
Displayed at the Royal Academy in 1843, Turner’s late view of Venice shows
the Customs House, or Dogana, from an angle opposite to that seen in his 1834
picture. Behind the Dogana, the domes of the Church of Santa Maria della Salute
rise against the vibrantly luminous sky. Although his early works had made Turner
wealthy and famous, this later style—in which light evaporates the solid
forms—was far too avant-garde for his contemporaries to comprehend. In
retrospect, however, it is such late works that had the most impact upon subsequent
landscapists. (The parapet at the bottom right is formally inscribed with Turner’s
full initials, JMWT; informally, friends called him Bill.)
Provenance
Purchased 1843 from exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, by Edwin
Bullock, Hawthorn House, Handsworth, Birmingham; (sale, Christie, Manson &
Woods, London, 21 and 23 May 1870, 1st day, no. 143); bought by (Thos. Agnew
& Sons), London, who sold it that same day to John Fowler (later Sir John
Fowler, Bt.) [1817-1898], Thornwood Lodge, Campden Hill, London; (sale, Christie,
Manson & Woods, London, 6 May 1899, no. 79); bought by (Thos. Agnew &
Sons), London, for James Ross, Montreal; (sale, Christie, Manson & Woods,
London, 8 July 1927, no. 28, repro.); bought by (Thos. Agnew & Sons), London,
for Alvin T. Fuller, Boston [d. 1958]; The Fuller Foundation; gift 1961 to NGA.