J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours

ISBN 978-1-84976-386-8
J.M.W. Turner > 1819-29 Italy and after > European River and Lowland Scenes > Artwork

Joseph Mallord William Turner River Scene, with Steamboat c.1824

Joseph Mallord William Turner, ‘River Scene, with Steamboat’ c.1824
Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
River Scene, with Steamboat c.1824
D20276
Turner Bequest CCXXII Q
Gouache and watercolour on blue wove paper, 141 x 187 mm
Blind-stamped with Turner Bequest monogram towards bottom right
Stamped in black ‘CCXXII – Q’ bottom right
Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
A line of figures stand on a jetty to the left, close to which is a boat at anchor. Further off, casting a long reflection in the water, a steamboat trails puffs of smoke making its way down river. To the right are more figures, some wearing dresses and reaching out their arms as though waving. Behind them the river’s bank forms a sheer cliff that glows a yellowy orange in the sunlight.
For the grouping and dating of these works, see the section Introduction.
Technical notes:
The edges of the sheet indicate that it was at one point displayed within a frame, the discoloration here is likely as a result of prolonged display. There is also evidence of water damage running along the bottom of the page of the sort usually associated with the 1928 Tate Gallery flood, albeit the present sheet was apparently still part of the Sixth Loan Collection at that time.
Verso:
Blank except for inscriptions. Blind-stamped with Turner Bequest monogram towards bottom left. Stamped in black ‘CCXXII Q’ towards bottom left. Inscribed in pencil ‘9’ right of middle centre.

Ben Pollitt
August 2019

How to cite

Ben Pollitt, ‘River Scene, with Steamboat c.1824 by Joseph Mallord William Turner’, catalogue entry, August 2019, in David Blayney Brown (ed.), J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours, Tate Research Publication, March 2023, https://www.tate.org.uk/art/research-publications/jmw-turner/joseph-mallord-william-turner-river-scene-with-steamboat-r1202085, accessed 09 May 2024.