On the Washburn (Study)

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Artist: J. M. W. Turner (British, 1775–1851)
Medium: Watercolor, graphite, and scratching out on medium, slightly textured, cream wove paper
Size: Sheet: 11 1/4 x 18 inches (28.6 x 45.7 cm)
Museum: Yale Center for British Art
Rights: CC0 — no rights reserved

Turner made these watercolors while visiting Farnley Hall, the home of his longtime friend and patron Sir Walter Fawkes. Representing an idyllic stretch of river in the nearby Washburn Valley, they show how the artist developed initial studies into finished works. The drawing on the left was part of a large sketchbook devoted to Yorkshire subjects. With its loose washes of color applied over faint graphite outlines, it typifies the kind of rapid visual notations that Turner made on the spot.

By comparison, the finished watercolor to the right, though identical in composition, employs finely graduated washes to enrich the scene with natural color. These are overlaid with minutely worked lines and strokes of paint to render fine surface texture and detail, especially in the trunk and branches of the foreground tree. Turner has even introduced an additional pictorial detail, the kingfisher that perches on a rock in the river, subtly enhancing the image’s narrative and visual interest.

Text: Yale Center for British Art.