HE EXHIBITS 'RAIN, STEAM AND SPEED,' AND TWICE TRIES TO CROSS THE ALPS ON FOOT

The Sketch-Books of 1844 tell the happy story of continental rambles, with flashes of humour, such as this written in pencil against a water-colour of 'Rockets': 'Coming events cast their lights before them.'

He is at Lucerne, Thun, Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, Meiringen, Rheinfelden and Heidelberg and each book has its numerous sketches.

To show how unwearyingly this veteran pursued beauty, I quote in full the titles of the drawings in the short 'Lucerne' Sketch-Book, which has not been broken up:—

Page 1. Lake and sky. Water-colour.
„ 2. do. do.
„ 3. do. do.
„ 4-9. Blank
„ 10. Lake and sky. Water-colour.
„ 11. do. Stormy weather. Water-colour.
„ 12. The Righi: storm clearing off. Water-colour.
„ 13. A Stormy sunset. Water-colour.
„ 14. The Rockets. Water-colour. Written in pencil in
margin—'Coming events cast their lights before
them.'
„ 15. The blue Righi. Water-colour.
„ 16. The red Righi.
„ 17. The rain, with rainbow. Water-colour.
„ 18. The rainbow. Water-colour.
„ 19. Clearing up a little. Water-colour.
„ 20. Still raining. Water-colour.
„ 21. The rainbow. Water-colour.
„ 22. A gleam of sunshine. Water-colour.
„ 23. Sunset. Water-colour.
„ 24. The Righi. Water-colour. (18 leaves drawn on.)

Plate XXXVII. Rain, Steam, and Speed (1844) Tate Gallery

The exhibited pictures included that masterpiece in impressionism, 'Rain, Steam, and Speed.' Turner's whole life may be said to have been a preparation for this tour de force; all the knowledge that he had acquired, all the facts that he had accumulated, are used in this brilliant synthesis of the effect upon the eye of rushing movement through atmosphere. Has Claude Monet, who acknowledged the impulse he received from studying Turner in 1870, ever visualised movement, light and atmosphere in one impression, as did this wonderful Turner in his seventieth year? But though his power to express a fleeting vision was at its height in this picture, his ability to express his thoughts was as stumbling as ever, shown by the following—printed with other letters by Sir Walter Armstrong in his volume on Turner:—

'47 Queen Anne Street, Dec. 28th, 1844.

'Dear Hawkesworth,—First let me say I am very glad to hear Mrs. Fawkes has recovered in health so as to make Torquay air no longer absolute, and that the Isle of Wight will, I do trust, completely establish her health and yours (confound the gout which you work under), tho' thanks to your perseverance in penning what you did, and likewise for the praises of a gossiping letter, thanks to Charlotte Fawkes, who said you thought of Shanklin, but you left me to conjecture solely by the postmark Shanklin—Ryde— so now I scribble this to the first place in the hope of thanking your kindness in the remembrance of me by the Yorkshire Pie equal good to the olden time of Hannah's culinary exploits.

'Now for myself, the rigours of winter begin to tell upon me, rough and cold, and more acted upon by changes of weather than when we used to trot about at Farnley, but it must be borne with all the thanks due for such a lengthened period.

'I went, however, to Lucerne and Switzerland, little thinking of supposing such a cauldron of squabbling, political or religious, I was walking over. The rains came on early so I could not cross the Alps, twice I tried, was sent back with a wet jacket and worn-out boots, and after getting them heel-tapped, I marched up some of the small valleys of the Rhine and found them more interesting than I expected.

'Now do you keep your promise and so recollect that London is not so much out of nearest route to Farnley now ... Shanklin, and (I) do feel confoundedly mortified in not knowing your location when I was once so near you, for I saw Louis Philippe land at Portsmouth.—Believe me, dear Hawkesworth, Yours most sincerely,

'J. M. W. Turner.'