Book Description
The first reproductions in this book from Turners years from 1790-1800 at the Royal Academy Schools show the precise and effective working of the artist who while still a teen showed his genius. Reproductions from 1800-1810 reveal why he was able to consolidate his position as the leading topographic watercolor artist of his day as well as a painter of oils. Turners evolving styles are presented along with his growing interest in pure landscape with fine pencil drawings enhanced by watercolor an important collection of his Liber Studiorum prints his incomparable Scenes on the Loire and watercolor studies made on the spot during summer visits to Switzerland (1841-1844) commissioned and acquired by Ruskin. The latter considered them his greatest watercolors and according to Luke Hermann they are the most wonderful of all English watercolors. The drawings are representative of each decade of his career (he lived from 1775-1851). (Many of the works were initially owned by Ruskin.) This is number 15 in the Ashmolean Handbooks.
