After the exhibition Mr. Fawkes had a catalogue published of the drawings included in the show. The catalogue was dedicated “To J. M. W. Turner, Esq., R.A., P.P.,” in the following graceful letter:—
“My dear Sir,
“The unbought and spontaneous expression of the public opinion respecting my collection of water-colour drawings decidedly points out to whom this little catalogue should be inscribed. To you, therefore, I dedicate it: first, as an act of duty, and secondly, as an Offering of Friendship: for be assured I never can look at it without intensely feeling the delight I have experienced during the greater part of my life from the exercise of your talent, and the pleasure of your society.
“That you may year after year reap an accession of fame and fortune is the anxious wish of
“Your sincere friend,
W. Fawkes.”
“London, June, 1819.
The family copy of this catalogue was illustrated with a frontispiece and two water-colours by Turner, one a view of London from the Windows of 45, Grosvenor Place, the other a view of the Drawing-room of 45, Grosvenor Place.
To understand properly the importance of this exhibition to Turner’s reputation as a water-colour painter, we must bear in mind that since his election as a member of the Royal Academy he had been known to the public primarily as an oil painter; and he had held aloof from the newly-established Water-Colour Society, and had, therefore, no regular opportunities for submitting his water-colour drawings to the public. Mr. Fawkes’s friendly exhibition, held under the most fortunate social conditions, firmly established Turner’s position as the foremost water-colour painter of his time, and enabled him to produce, during the next twenty years, those marvellous series of drawings which are so eagerly sought after by collectors of the present day, and so warmly appreciated and enjoyed by all who care for the higher achievements of the Fine Arts.
In the summer of 1819 Turner paid his first visit to Italy. He went from Calais to Paris, followed the usual coach route to Turin, and, having explored the north Italian lakes, he reached Venice by way of Milan and Brescia. He must have spent some time in Venice to judge from the large number of sketches he made there. Making his way along the coast of the Adriatic he turned inland at Ancona, and following the high post road through Recanati and Macerata, entered the Via Flaminia at Foligno, and saw Rome for the first time, probably some time in September or October. From Rome he explored Frascati and Tivoli, and made a tour to Naples, Pompeii and Herculaneum. He left Rome in December, visited Florence, and re-crossed the Alps on the 24th January 1820. He returned through Piedmont and France, and we find him dining at Grosvenor Place with the Fawkses on Saturday, 12th February. During the next few months he must have been frequently in the society of his friends, as his name constantly recurs in the entries of Mrs. Fawkes’s diary. The following extracts will speak for themselves:—