Joseph Mallord William Turner

Joseph Mallord William Turner
(1775–1851)

View of Dunster Castle from the Northeast

Watercolor, over faint indications in graphite
9 1/4 x 14 7/16 inches (235 x 367 mm)

Purchased on the bequest of Lois Duffie Baker

1980.32
Item description: 

Turner was occupied with views of castles and country houses as he traveled through England and Scotland during the 1790s . In this decade he also made his way from topographer to colorist. Here Turner's washes were applied in layers to suggest depth and atmosphere. The play of light and shadow is also impressive, the dark foreground serving to offset the castle seen in the distance, still lit by sunlight. This sheet and a companion view of the same subject were engraved by S. Rawle in 1800, and the plate was dedicated to the castle's owner, Mr. J. Fowles Luttrell, whose family had resided there since 1376.