Watercolor on medium, slightly textured, cream wove paper
Dimensions:
Sheet: 8 3/4 x 12 1/2 inches (22.2 x 31.8 cm)
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1977.14.4652
Gallery Label:
The magical vistas of Venice and its history of rising and declining mercantile power became a source of lasting fascination for Turner. During three short visits to the island, he worked tirelessly to record its every detail, taking gondola trips along its waterways and sketching continually. He ultimately produced more than one thousand pencil drawings and 150 watercolors over a total of only four weeks. In this example, the red and brown pen and brush strokes over nearly white paper to the left capture the reflected sunlight on the Grand Canal’s palaces. On the right, the forms of the Customs House and the dome and campanile of the church of San Giorgio Maggiore are deftly washed in with cool greens and blues. Though rapidly executed, the resulting image convincingly evokes the city’s evanescent luminosity. Gallery label for J. M. W. Turner: Romance and Reality (Yale Center for British Art, March - 29, 2025 - July 27, 2025)
