Information
According to the catalogue of the Manchester City Art Gallery Ruskin Exhibition, Ruskin was very impressed by J. M. W. Turner's painting 'The Sun of Venice going to Sea', when it was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1843 (cat. no. 129). He admired especially 'the reflections and eddies of the calm water' (see 'Modern Painters,' vol. I). Accustomed to writing notes and making sketches of paintings, Ruskin 'forgot, or ignored, the rule forbidding visitors at the exhibition to copy the pictures' on display. This led to him being expelled from the gallery for making this sketch and 1907P142, a copy of a different section of the same painting. The same catalogue also states that in 1904 the sketches were owned by Mr and Mrs A. Severn. Joan Severn (nee Agnew) was Ruskin's cousin and the work of her husband, the artist Arthur Severn was heavily influenced by him.
- Presented by an anonymous donor, 1907.
- © Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery
Makers
Association |
Artist |
Organisation |
Artist |
John Ruskin |
- |
After |
J M W Turner |
- |
Inscriptions
Type |
Position(s) |
Method |
Date(s) |
Notes |
a & all round orange shade / in lilac grey / [illegible word] orange wood rail [?] / b profile lights all yellow / [illegible words] but in darker grey / c bright yellow / purple with orange [illegible word] / orange & yellow / a. & all above cool grey / with [illegible word] / light orange / ee faint grey [illegible word] |
Inscription |
top right |
Handwritten |
- |
Inscribed in the artist's handwriting with notes on the colour and corresponding letters.. In pencil. |
|
Exhibitions
Catalogue No. |
Venue |
Date(s) |
Ruskin Exhibition |
210 |
Royal Society of Painters in Water Colour, London |
1901-02-04 - 1901-03-02 |
|
Ruskin Exhibition |
137 |
Manchester City Art Gallery |
1904 - 1904 |
|
Ruskin Exhibition |
32 |
The Fine Art Society, 148 New Bond Street, London |
1907-03 - 1907-04 |
|
Ruskin, Turner and the Pre-Raphaelites |
46 |
Tate Britain, London |
2000-03-09 - 2000-05-28 |
|
Literature
Author(s) |
Date(s) |
Publisher |
Pages |
Catalogue of the Ruskin Exhibition |
|
1904 |
Manchester City Art Gallery |
p. 46 |
|
Ruskin Exhibition: Catalogue of an Exhibition of Water-Colours and Drawings by the late John Ruskin |
|
1907 |
The Fine Art Society, London |
p. 12 |
|
Works of Ruskin, XXXVIII, Catalogue of Drawings |
Alexander Wedderburn, E T Cook |
1912 |
George Allen, London |
p. 290, no. 1750 |
|
City of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery: Catalogue of the Permanent Collection of Drawings |
A E Whitley |
1939 |
Bemrose & Sons Ltd., Derby |
p. 372 |
|
Ruskin, Turner and the Pre-Raphaelites |
Ian Warrell, Robert Hewison, Stephen Wildman |
2000 |
Tate Gallery Publishing, London |
p. 68, pl.46 |
Provenance
Mr and Mrs Arthur Severn in 1904; unknown donor. |
Associated people
Associated places
Name |
Type |
Venice, Italy |
Depicted |
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