from George IV to Victoria
1822 Along the River Stour
2016 SOLD for £ 14M including premium
John Constable masterfully demonstrates that it is not mandatory to travel to become the best painter of landscapes. The nature is for him an emotional theme, an opportunity to exacerbate his childhood impressions in Suffolk.
Traditional methods are no longer sufficient for his communion with the English countryside. He begins by giving up the outdoor painting. He then invents the suitable process when he transfers his detailed sketches on a large canvas, generating the full scale sketch that he tirelessly reworks until he finds the balance of composition and the animation for the final work.
His interpretation of the Stour River in a distance range not exceeding five kilometers results in a set of six paintings from 1819 to 1825 which are the masterpieces of Constable and more generally of any landscape painting.
The six-foot sketches of these six paintings have been preserved. Constable refused to sell his sketches, considering that we must sell the corn and not the field that grew it. They were dispersed in his deceased estate sale but it was not until 1862 that their importance could be analyzed when two sketches were finally exhibited beside their matching final artwork.
Seen by a modern observer, the comparison is stunning. The sketch is the direct result of the creativity of the painter in a thick impasto that provides a pre-Impressionist expressiveness. The application of the brush is free and vibrant without the conventional restraint that will be applied to the final work. By design, the numerous remorses directly reflect the creative process of the artist.
On June 30 in London, Christie's sells at lot 12 the six-foot sketch for the fourth painting in the series, the View on the Stour near Dedham, which is the only full scale sketch of the Stour series still in private hands. This oil on canvas 129 x 185 cm was worked between autumn 1821 and the exhibition of the final work in 1822 at the Royal Academy. The press release of May 26 reveals an estimate around £ 12M to 16M.
Traditional methods are no longer sufficient for his communion with the English countryside. He begins by giving up the outdoor painting. He then invents the suitable process when he transfers his detailed sketches on a large canvas, generating the full scale sketch that he tirelessly reworks until he finds the balance of composition and the animation for the final work.
His interpretation of the Stour River in a distance range not exceeding five kilometers results in a set of six paintings from 1819 to 1825 which are the masterpieces of Constable and more generally of any landscape painting.
The six-foot sketches of these six paintings have been preserved. Constable refused to sell his sketches, considering that we must sell the corn and not the field that grew it. They were dispersed in his deceased estate sale but it was not until 1862 that their importance could be analyzed when two sketches were finally exhibited beside their matching final artwork.
Seen by a modern observer, the comparison is stunning. The sketch is the direct result of the creativity of the painter in a thick impasto that provides a pre-Impressionist expressiveness. The application of the brush is free and vibrant without the conventional restraint that will be applied to the final work. By design, the numerous remorses directly reflect the creative process of the artist.
On June 30 in London, Christie's sells at lot 12 the six-foot sketch for the fourth painting in the series, the View on the Stour near Dedham, which is the only full scale sketch of the Stour series still in private hands. This oil on canvas 129 x 185 cm was worked between autumn 1821 and the exhibition of the final work in 1822 at the Royal Academy. The press release of May 26 reveals an estimate around £ 12M to 16M.
A 'titan of British painting' — John Constable among highlights of our 30 June sale https://t.co/PERruOhsUE pic.twitter.com/kr8K1bbx7s
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) May 26, 2016
1824 John Constable, Painter of Sky and Wind
2012 SOLD 22.4 M£ including premium
John Constable, son of a miller, is an artist of the countryside. Landscapist at a time when history painting was in the fashion, he made outdoor sketches for preparing oil paintings in large scale, opening the way to the modernism of the nineteenth century.
His landscapes are common sites in the country, which a photographer could hardly interprete. In this humble subject, he captures the movement: the ever-changing shapes of the clouds, the leaves rustling in the wind. Constable is the magician of the air like Monet, later, will be the magician of water.
The top of the art of Constable is a series of six paintings of the Stour Valley in his native Suffolk, each one preceded by those sketches that are masterpieces in their own right by their search of the expressive qualities of nature.
One of these six paintings is The Lock, 142 x 121 cm, achieved in 1824. The only one still in private hands, it was sold £ 10.8 million including premium by Sotheby's on November 14, 1990, a considerable price at that time for an ancient painting.
It is estimated £ 20M, for sale by Christie's in London on July 3rd.
POST SALE COMMENT
This painting is exceptional and its price is deserved: £ 22.4 million including premium. The estimate had been well targeted by Christie's.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Christie's.
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
His landscapes are common sites in the country, which a photographer could hardly interprete. In this humble subject, he captures the movement: the ever-changing shapes of the clouds, the leaves rustling in the wind. Constable is the magician of the air like Monet, later, will be the magician of water.
The top of the art of Constable is a series of six paintings of the Stour Valley in his native Suffolk, each one preceded by those sketches that are masterpieces in their own right by their search of the expressive qualities of nature.
One of these six paintings is The Lock, 142 x 121 cm, achieved in 1824. The only one still in private hands, it was sold £ 10.8 million including premium by Sotheby's on November 14, 1990, a considerable price at that time for an ancient painting.
It is estimated £ 20M, for sale by Christie's in London on July 3rd.
POST SALE COMMENT
This painting is exceptional and its price is deserved: £ 22.4 million including premium. The estimate had been well targeted by Christie's.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Christie's.
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
1825 The Son of the Wealthy Miller
2015 SOLD for £ 9.1M including premium
John Constable was the son of a wealthy miller in Suffolk who owned some mills and operated the transportation of his corn to London by the River Stour, made navigable since 1705 through thirteen locks. The miller was responsible for the maintenance of some of these locks that were on his land.
From 1819, the artist gets a highly deserved recognition for his paintings of rural scenery. Now having full confidence in his art, he begins a series in large size of the local landscapes in which he was impregnated since his childhood.
John works slowly in his studio, using his sketches. He expresses altogether the charm of the place, the tranquility of the activity, the ever-changing sky, the wind, the threat of a shower rain. Beginning in 1821 with the Hay Wain, the series around the River Stour is the greatest achievement in the art of English landscape painting, combining a romantic inspiration to an execution in a perfect realism.
The Lock, painted in 1824, is the fifth of the six paintings in this series. Exhibited at the Royal Academy, it is bought on the first day by a collector. This oil on canvas 142 x 121 cm was sold for £ 22.4 million including premium by Christie's on July 3, 2012.
John is a sensitive artist who certainly felt the sale of his painting as a tear to his childhood memories. His personal papers indicate in 1825 that he is completing a copy. This oil on canvas is estimated £ 8M for sale by Sotheby's in London on December 9, lot 44.
Experts see some differences between the two versions, perhaps a sky darker in places which announces the most expressionist landscapes of the following years. I would rather say that the similarity of the two paintings is extremely remarkable, especially since John had not the original version in hands when he made the copy. The care with which the artist conceived his compositions is unsurpassable.
The second version had not been painted for the purpose of sale and John kept it all along his life. It was used to prepare the print published in 1834.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
From 1819, the artist gets a highly deserved recognition for his paintings of rural scenery. Now having full confidence in his art, he begins a series in large size of the local landscapes in which he was impregnated since his childhood.
John works slowly in his studio, using his sketches. He expresses altogether the charm of the place, the tranquility of the activity, the ever-changing sky, the wind, the threat of a shower rain. Beginning in 1821 with the Hay Wain, the series around the River Stour is the greatest achievement in the art of English landscape painting, combining a romantic inspiration to an execution in a perfect realism.
The Lock, painted in 1824, is the fifth of the six paintings in this series. Exhibited at the Royal Academy, it is bought on the first day by a collector. This oil on canvas 142 x 121 cm was sold for £ 22.4 million including premium by Christie's on July 3, 2012.
John is a sensitive artist who certainly felt the sale of his painting as a tear to his childhood memories. His personal papers indicate in 1825 that he is completing a copy. This oil on canvas is estimated £ 8M for sale by Sotheby's in London on December 9, lot 44.
Experts see some differences between the two versions, perhaps a sky darker in places which announces the most expressionist landscapes of the following years. I would rather say that the similarity of the two paintings is extremely remarkable, especially since John had not the original version in hands when he made the copy. The care with which the artist conceived his compositions is unsurpassable.
The second version had not been painted for the purpose of sale and John kept it all along his life. It was used to prepare the print published in 1834.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
1835 Turner over the Tiber
2014 SOLD for £ 30.3M including premium
Turner visited Rome twice, in 1819 and 1828. He was dazzled by that city which was trying to organize its modernity without denying its glorious past. During his first trip, he was concerned about illustration and drew hundreds of sketches of views and monuments. The goal of the second visit was to soak in the atmosphere for producing oils on canvas.
Turner had a friend as difficult as himself in his temper : Hugh Munro of Novar. It was the time of the watercolorist travelers and Munro would have liked to become an artist. Turner tried to help him but the younger man was not skilled. He was to become one of the greatest art collectors of his time.
When Turner returned from Rome, Munro commissioned him with a painting on which the city was to be shown with the greatest topographic truth. Turner reinspected his drawings. The oil on canvas showing the view of Rome from Mount Aventine, 93 x 126 cm, was completed in 1835.
In the morning light, this view is a masterpiece from that period of great maturity of the artist. The blurring by mist above the Tiber is a pre-impressionist feat. The drawing of the urban texture is of high detail all over the huge extent of the city and the animation is nice.
This work could be a pendant with a view from Capitoline hill purchased in 1839 by Munro. Passed in 1878 in the collection of the Earls of Rosebery, both paintings have remained in a fabulous condition. The view from the Capitol was sold for £ 29,7M including premium by Sotheby's on July 7, 2010.
The view over the Tiber is estimated £ 15M, for sale by Sotheby's in London on December 3, lot 44. I invite you to play the video shared by Sotheby's :
Turner had a friend as difficult as himself in his temper : Hugh Munro of Novar. It was the time of the watercolorist travelers and Munro would have liked to become an artist. Turner tried to help him but the younger man was not skilled. He was to become one of the greatest art collectors of his time.
When Turner returned from Rome, Munro commissioned him with a painting on which the city was to be shown with the greatest topographic truth. Turner reinspected his drawings. The oil on canvas showing the view of Rome from Mount Aventine, 93 x 126 cm, was completed in 1835.
In the morning light, this view is a masterpiece from that period of great maturity of the artist. The blurring by mist above the Tiber is a pre-impressionist feat. The drawing of the urban texture is of high detail all over the huge extent of the city and the animation is nice.
This work could be a pendant with a view from Capitoline hill purchased in 1839 by Munro. Passed in 1878 in the collection of the Earls of Rosebery, both paintings have remained in a fabulous condition. The view from the Capitol was sold for £ 29,7M including premium by Sotheby's on July 7, 2010.
The view over the Tiber is estimated £ 15M, for sale by Sotheby's in London on December 3, lot 44. I invite you to play the video shared by Sotheby's :
1835 Romantic Pilgrimage in Rhineland
2017 SOLD for £ 18.5M including premium
Turner is an illustrator. His watercolors are used to create collections of images and conversely the engravings are an effective way to disclose his major artworks.
He is also a keen traveler. When touring all over Europe he deliberately walked in the fictional footsteps of Childe Harold, the disillusioned young man of Byron's poem who visited the sites wrought by wars to satisfy his need for freedom.
In 1835 Turner finishes his sublime view showing Rome from the Aventine, oil on canvas 93 x 126 cm. Extending to the oil the traditional technique of watercolor, the superposition of very thin layers of paint brings a transparency that simulates the sunny mist without weakening the details of the drawing. This painting was sold for £ 30.3M including premium by Sotheby's on December 3, 2014.
The artist has reached an agreement for an image of Germany with the engraver John Pye after he had appreciated the quality of the effects of light in his prints. When he receives the promised work, Pye is frightened but it is too late to give up : Turner did not execute a watercolor but an oil on canvas of large size, 93 x 123 cm, with the same subtle hues as in the Roman view. Meeting the requirements of the patron is virtually impossible.
This painting is a view of Ehrenbreitstein, subtitled The Bright Stone of Honour and the Tomb of Marceau from Byron's Childe Harold. The ruined fortress of Ehrenbreitstein which still dominates Koblenz is a symbol of the vanity of the old wars. Marceau is that young French general killed at the age of 27 near Koblenz who had deserved such a reputation for chivalrous bravery that the two hostile armies participated together in his funeral.
Contrary to the Roman view, the view of Rhineland does not seek an overall topographical truth. It is a set of scenes where peasant girls cohabit peacefully with soldiers of both armies.
The painting was finished in 1835. Nine years later Turner became impatient with Pye who succeeded in convincing him that his work was not abandoned. The engraving was printed in 1845 under the pressure of a collector who wanted to buy the original painting to Turner.
The Ehrenbreitstein view is estimated £ 15M for sale by Sotheby's in London on July 5, lot 21. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
He is also a keen traveler. When touring all over Europe he deliberately walked in the fictional footsteps of Childe Harold, the disillusioned young man of Byron's poem who visited the sites wrought by wars to satisfy his need for freedom.
In 1835 Turner finishes his sublime view showing Rome from the Aventine, oil on canvas 93 x 126 cm. Extending to the oil the traditional technique of watercolor, the superposition of very thin layers of paint brings a transparency that simulates the sunny mist without weakening the details of the drawing. This painting was sold for £ 30.3M including premium by Sotheby's on December 3, 2014.
The artist has reached an agreement for an image of Germany with the engraver John Pye after he had appreciated the quality of the effects of light in his prints. When he receives the promised work, Pye is frightened but it is too late to give up : Turner did not execute a watercolor but an oil on canvas of large size, 93 x 123 cm, with the same subtle hues as in the Roman view. Meeting the requirements of the patron is virtually impossible.
This painting is a view of Ehrenbreitstein, subtitled The Bright Stone of Honour and the Tomb of Marceau from Byron's Childe Harold. The ruined fortress of Ehrenbreitstein which still dominates Koblenz is a symbol of the vanity of the old wars. Marceau is that young French general killed at the age of 27 near Koblenz who had deserved such a reputation for chivalrous bravery that the two hostile armies participated together in his funeral.
Contrary to the Roman view, the view of Rhineland does not seek an overall topographical truth. It is a set of scenes where peasant girls cohabit peacefully with soldiers of both armies.
The painting was finished in 1835. Nine years later Turner became impatient with Pye who succeeded in convincing him that his work was not abandoned. The engraving was printed in 1845 under the pressure of a collector who wanted to buy the original painting to Turner.
The Ehrenbreitstein view is estimated £ 15M for sale by Sotheby's in London on July 5, lot 21. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
This Turner masterpiece is going from private hands to open market: could it set a record for British art? @Sothebys https://t.co/BktorQc0NL pic.twitter.com/Wc4aRPGq3n
— AntiquesTradeGazette (@ATG_Editorial) April 4, 2017
1839 Turner on the Roman Hills
2010 SOLD 29.7 M£ including premium
During his two trips to Rome in 1819 and 1828, Turner made studies of panoramas and monuments. The Eternal City has continued to fascinate him: in 1839, he gathers these travel memories to compose a large oil on canvas, 90 x 122 cm.
The artist has placed the easel of his memory at the top of Capitoline Hill. The city lies before him, fully bathed in a wonderful light that enhances the perspective. The foreground is animated with efficiency and discretion by goatherds and peasants.
Do not look for photographic truth in this image. According to the style of that time, the position of the buildings owes more to art than to reality. But it is no longer a capriccio, and ancient and pontifical monuments are finely drawn.
Such a piece on the art market is by itself an event. Its exceptional condition makes it one the most important auction lots of the year. The painting has kept its original freshness and frame. It had been previously only once on the art market, in 1878. The Earl of Rosebery paid 4,450 guineas for it, on the occasion of his honeymoon.
On July 7 in London, Sotheby's announce this masterpiece at 12 million pounds.
POST SALE COMMENT
The estimate had been underestimated but not the importance of this painting, well relayed by the press releases.
Result: £ 29.7 million including premium.
See below the video shared by Sotheby's and the image shared by Wikimedia :
The artist has placed the easel of his memory at the top of Capitoline Hill. The city lies before him, fully bathed in a wonderful light that enhances the perspective. The foreground is animated with efficiency and discretion by goatherds and peasants.
Do not look for photographic truth in this image. According to the style of that time, the position of the buildings owes more to art than to reality. But it is no longer a capriccio, and ancient and pontifical monuments are finely drawn.
Such a piece on the art market is by itself an event. Its exceptional condition makes it one the most important auction lots of the year. The painting has kept its original freshness and frame. It had been previously only once on the art market, in 1878. The Earl of Rosebery paid 4,450 guineas for it, on the occasion of his honeymoon.
On July 7 in London, Sotheby's announce this masterpiece at 12 million pounds.
POST SALE COMMENT
The estimate had been underestimated but not the importance of this painting, well relayed by the press releases.
Result: £ 29.7 million including premium.
See below the video shared by Sotheby's and the image shared by Wikimedia :
1841 Venice by TURNER
1
Giudecca
2006 SOLD for $ 36M by Christie's
Venice had a hard time taming Turner. His first tour of Italy, in 1819, included only a short visit to Venice, which he completely avoided in 1828. Inspired by poets, he conceived his views of Italy and Greece by unleashing his own imagination from sketches brought back by his friends.
Turner had an unlimited confidence in the correctness of his vision. Annoyed by the posthumous influence of Bonington, he exhibited new views of Venice during the summer of 1833 at the Royal Academy, to serve as models of the expression of atmosphere and poetry in painting, without having seen again the City of the Doges. He made his second stay there at the end of the same year and finally considered including Venice in his regular work.
An identical sequence of events took place in 1840, with two views of Venice exhibited at the Royal Academy before his departure for his third and final visit, which lasted two weeks only. This time the ethereal charm of Venice has operated.
In the following years, Turner was making a distinction between the watercolor sketches and the views in larger format which he considered as his finished works, the only ones worthy of being exhibited and sold. His finished views of Switzerland are large watercolors and his finished views of Venice are oils on canvas.
Painted in his studio after his come back, the panoramic views of Venice deserved a larger format than the watercolors. In order not to lose anything in the luminosity and the freshness of the colors, he paints Venice in oil with the same pigments as his watercolors. The pre-impressionist atmosphere also suggests that he had transferred the wet in wet technique of his watercolors onto his canvases, before adding the more realistic narrative drawing of the gondolas.
On April 6, 2006, Christie's sold as lot 97 for $ 36M a view of the Giudecca with La Donna della Salute and San Giorgio. This oil on canvas 61 x 92 cm was prepared by Turner for the 1841 exhibition of the Royal Academy. As often with this artist, the perfection of the composition and the color balance prevail over the topographic reality.
A 24 x 30 cm watercolor showing the Dogana under the new moon was sold for £ 960K by Christie's on July 10, 2014, lot 209. The evanescent clarity may be compared with the atmosphere of the oil on canvas discussed above.
Turner had an unlimited confidence in the correctness of his vision. Annoyed by the posthumous influence of Bonington, he exhibited new views of Venice during the summer of 1833 at the Royal Academy, to serve as models of the expression of atmosphere and poetry in painting, without having seen again the City of the Doges. He made his second stay there at the end of the same year and finally considered including Venice in his regular work.
An identical sequence of events took place in 1840, with two views of Venice exhibited at the Royal Academy before his departure for his third and final visit, which lasted two weeks only. This time the ethereal charm of Venice has operated.
In the following years, Turner was making a distinction between the watercolor sketches and the views in larger format which he considered as his finished works, the only ones worthy of being exhibited and sold. His finished views of Switzerland are large watercolors and his finished views of Venice are oils on canvas.
Painted in his studio after his come back, the panoramic views of Venice deserved a larger format than the watercolors. In order not to lose anything in the luminosity and the freshness of the colors, he paints Venice in oil with the same pigments as his watercolors. The pre-impressionist atmosphere also suggests that he had transferred the wet in wet technique of his watercolors onto his canvases, before adding the more realistic narrative drawing of the gondolas.
On April 6, 2006, Christie's sold as lot 97 for $ 36M a view of the Giudecca with La Donna della Salute and San Giorgio. This oil on canvas 61 x 92 cm was prepared by Turner for the 1841 exhibition of the Royal Academy. As often with this artist, the perfection of the composition and the color balance prevail over the topographic reality.
A 24 x 30 cm watercolor showing the Dogana under the new moon was sold for £ 960K by Christie's on July 10, 2014, lot 209. The evanescent clarity may be compared with the atmosphere of the oil on canvas discussed above.
2
Bellini's Three Pictures
2022 SOLD for $ 33.6M by Christie's
A painter of wonderful landscape views, Turner nevertheless applied fancy to his finished oil on canvas, relying throughout his career on his own pencil sketches.
A view of Venice painted in 1841 in Turner's pre-impressionist brush work of the period is a tribute to his earliest great predecessor in the city, Giovanni Bellini. Titled Depositing of John Bellini's Three Pictures in La Chiesa Redentore, it depicts a flowing procession forwarding three pictures in the leading gondola, in the follow of Canaletto's successful theme of festivities.
Although it was exhibited in the same year at the Royal Academy beside two views inspired by its 1840 trip, it is a unique example in the larger 74 x 116 cm format and the only one with a narration.
The three pictures from the title are visible but so tiny that they cannot be identified. Probably Turner himself did not try it. It is pure fancy : no date has been forwarded for that special solemnity. It is even missing the usual bird's eye view of Canaletto's paintings.
This oil on canvas was sold for $ 33.6M by Christie's on November 9, 2022, lot 46.
Another entry in the same 1841 exhibition was the view of La Giudecca, oil on canvas 61 x 92 cm sold for $ 36M by Christie's on April 6, 2006, lot 97.
A view of Venice painted in 1841 in Turner's pre-impressionist brush work of the period is a tribute to his earliest great predecessor in the city, Giovanni Bellini. Titled Depositing of John Bellini's Three Pictures in La Chiesa Redentore, it depicts a flowing procession forwarding three pictures in the leading gondola, in the follow of Canaletto's successful theme of festivities.
Although it was exhibited in the same year at the Royal Academy beside two views inspired by its 1840 trip, it is a unique example in the larger 74 x 116 cm format and the only one with a narration.
The three pictures from the title are visible but so tiny that they cannot be identified. Probably Turner himself did not try it. It is pure fancy : no date has been forwarded for that special solemnity. It is even missing the usual bird's eye view of Canaletto's paintings.
This oil on canvas was sold for $ 33.6M by Christie's on November 9, 2022, lot 46.
Another entry in the same 1841 exhibition was the view of La Giudecca, oil on canvas 61 x 92 cm sold for $ 36M by Christie's on April 6, 2006, lot 97.
mid 1840s The Light of England
2019 SOLD for £ 8.2M including premium
Light is the main theme of Turner's art throughout his career. He successively mastered watercolor and oil and became an illustrator for spreading his vision to a wider audience. Light does not exist without the landscape and the sea. The early inspirers of Turner are poets who sang the beauty of nature such as James Thomson or Lord Byron.
He admires the Liber Veritatis of Le Lorrain. A series of 71 images engraved between 1807 and 1819 under the title Liber Studiorum brings together Turner's landscape studies that can indeed be used by clients to commission "finished works".
Time passes. Turner is famous despite his eccentric temperament. His artistic creativity remains intact. He is aware that his art is unprecedented and decides to bequeath hundreds of pieces to the British nation. Eager for a posthumous recognition, he nevertheless flees his lifetime celebrity, spending his last years in Chelsea under the name of Mr Booth which was the surname of his companion Sophia.
In his later works the landscapes are literally wrapped in light, with a gradual vanishing of figurative details. He retrieves his dear old themes of the Liber Studiorum, which he reissues in 1845 in fifteen additional copies printed from the original plates under the influence of Ruskin.
The corpus of these late paintings made by Turner in direct relationship with the Liber includes nine large size artworks. Only one is still in private hands. This oil on canvas 88 x 118 cm is estimated £ 4M for sale by Sotheby's in London on July 3, lot 11.
This painting is inspired by an image of the Liber titled The Bridge in the Middle Distance. A confusion with the views of Italy, perhaps due to the light of the Venice views painted after his 1840 trip, has long masked the topographical theme of this image, the double Walton Bridge on the Thames, one of his favorite sites. The landscapes of J.M.W. Turner are universal.
He admires the Liber Veritatis of Le Lorrain. A series of 71 images engraved between 1807 and 1819 under the title Liber Studiorum brings together Turner's landscape studies that can indeed be used by clients to commission "finished works".
Time passes. Turner is famous despite his eccentric temperament. His artistic creativity remains intact. He is aware that his art is unprecedented and decides to bequeath hundreds of pieces to the British nation. Eager for a posthumous recognition, he nevertheless flees his lifetime celebrity, spending his last years in Chelsea under the name of Mr Booth which was the surname of his companion Sophia.
In his later works the landscapes are literally wrapped in light, with a gradual vanishing of figurative details. He retrieves his dear old themes of the Liber Studiorum, which he reissues in 1845 in fifteen additional copies printed from the original plates under the influence of Ruskin.
The corpus of these late paintings made by Turner in direct relationship with the Liber includes nine large size artworks. Only one is still in private hands. This oil on canvas 88 x 118 cm is estimated £ 4M for sale by Sotheby's in London on July 3, lot 11.
This painting is inspired by an image of the Liber titled The Bridge in the Middle Distance. A confusion with the views of Italy, perhaps due to the light of the Venice views painted after his 1840 trip, has long masked the topographical theme of this image, the double Walton Bridge on the Thames, one of his favorite sites. The landscapes of J.M.W. Turner are universal.
#AuctionUpdate Water under the Bridge: Coming to the market for the first time in over 35 years, #Turner’s idealised, Italianate landscape, inspired by Walton Bridge in Surrey, totals £8,171,000. #SothebysOldMasters pic.twitter.com/BjEPIdwcvH
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) July 3, 2019
1873 The Legend of Edward Burne-Jones
2013 SOLD 14.8 M£ including premium
Two English students meet at Oxford in 1852. William Morris is a true revolutionary in the sense that he wants to change the society. He will be an enterprising and innovative designer. Edward Coley Burne Jones (later Burne-Jones) has not yet a knowledge in art and is thus devoid of preconceived ideas on themes and technique.
The two friends were more inspired by the post-Romantic poetry, including Robert Browning, than by figurative art but they early find a fertile source of inspiration by approaching the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood of Rossetti. Burne-Jones was then to discover the Italian primitives.
In their small circle, the skill of Burne-Jones is soon recognized, which commits him to try the major arts. In 1869, the Hesperides, showing three young women in an earthly paradise, is the first masterpiece of his new ambition.
From that date, Burne-Jones designed new romantic-medieval themes, but from 1870 to 1873 he devoted himself to a single painting entitled Love among the ruins, 96 x 152 cm. Two young people live their romance alone among ruins. They are idealized figures of man and woman. The brightly colored clothes and faces are probably influenced by Giorgione.
Love among the ruins is disfigured in 1893 when in loan for an exhibition. A zealous connoisseur puts a protective coating without appreciating that it is a watercolor and gouache on paper and not an oil. The work now considered as destroyed is so emotionally important for the artist that he executes almost immediately a replica in oil.
In 1898, a friend informs of a chemical formula through which Burne-Jones is able to recover almost entirely the original quality of the picture. He repairs a more damaged area with much excitement as you can imagine. He had saved his art but he died five weeks later.
This artwork that has all the qualities to become legendary is estimated £ 3M, for sale by Christie's in London on July 11.
POST SALE COMMENT
This artwork is the perfect example of pre-Raphaelite ideas. The price could hardly be predicted. It was sold for £ 14.8 million including premium.
The two friends were more inspired by the post-Romantic poetry, including Robert Browning, than by figurative art but they early find a fertile source of inspiration by approaching the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood of Rossetti. Burne-Jones was then to discover the Italian primitives.
In their small circle, the skill of Burne-Jones is soon recognized, which commits him to try the major arts. In 1869, the Hesperides, showing three young women in an earthly paradise, is the first masterpiece of his new ambition.
From that date, Burne-Jones designed new romantic-medieval themes, but from 1870 to 1873 he devoted himself to a single painting entitled Love among the ruins, 96 x 152 cm. Two young people live their romance alone among ruins. They are idealized figures of man and woman. The brightly colored clothes and faces are probably influenced by Giorgione.
Love among the ruins is disfigured in 1893 when in loan for an exhibition. A zealous connoisseur puts a protective coating without appreciating that it is a watercolor and gouache on paper and not an oil. The work now considered as destroyed is so emotionally important for the artist that he executes almost immediately a replica in oil.
In 1898, a friend informs of a chemical formula through which Burne-Jones is able to recover almost entirely the original quality of the picture. He repairs a more damaged area with much excitement as you can imagine. He had saved his art but he died five weeks later.
This artwork that has all the qualities to become legendary is estimated £ 3M, for sale by Christie's in London on July 11.
POST SALE COMMENT
This artwork is the perfect example of pre-Raphaelite ideas. The price could hardly be predicted. It was sold for £ 14.8 million including premium.
En cette Saint Valentin, les spécialistes de @ChristiesInc reviennent sur des objets évoquant le sentiment amoureux https://t.co/HoCflsOAn8 pic.twitter.com/DUnBAVapJn
— Christie's Paris (@christiesparis) February 14, 2017
