Plate XLVI. Sunrise. A Castle on a Bay (1829 or after) Tate Gallery
[CHAPTER LVIII]
1908: FIFTY-TWO MORE 'UNEXHIBITED' TURNERS SHOWN AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY
In July 1908, it was announced that the Director of the National Gallery had 'discovered' in the private offices, three large water-colours by Turner. Later in the year, in the month of December, these, with forty-nine other examples that had never been exhibited before, were 'cleaned, mounted, framed,' and hung temporarily in Room XXII. of the National Gallery. This series, although extremely interesting, was not of the importance of the 1906 display. Some of the water-colours and pencil drawings, it is said, were found in a portfolio at the back of a bookcase, and the twelve oil studies in a dusty parcel bearing Ruskin's initials. Those oil studies, as has already been explained, were painted between 1805 and 1810 in oil on thin veneer; the forty water-colours were painted round about the year 1800, and included several of large size, such as 'Derwentwater,' 'Study for a Picture of Norham Castle,' and 'Scarborough Castle' These 'new' Turners remained for some time on screens in Room XXII. of the National Gallery, drawing crowds of people eager to see so many of the 'delight drawings' and studies by Turner, some of them 'prentice work; some of the highest importance, but done before he had quite mastered his material; some flashes of genius.
In 1910 they were removed to their last home in the Turner Gallery at Millbank, and in that year six more were added to the series—'St. Catherine's Hill, Guildford,' 2676; 'Newark Abbey,' 2677; 'Windsor from Lower Hope,' 2678; 'The Ford,' 2679; 'Sketch for Walton Bridges,' 2680; 'Walton Reach,' 2681. Here are the titles of the twelve oil sketches, and the forty water-colours. The Arabic numerals are those of the Catalogue, the Roman numerals and letters against the water-colours are the numbers and pages of the Sketch-Books and Sections in the Inventory.
Oil Sketches
'Newark Abbey.' No. 2302.
'A Narrow Valley.' No. 2303.
'A Wide Valley with a Town and Spire.' No. 2304.
'The Thames near Windsor.' No. 2305.
'Windsor Castle from the River.' No. 2306.
'A Town on the Thames.' No. 2307.
'Windsor Castle from the Meadows.' No. 2308.
'Tree-tops and Sky.' No. 2309.
'A River with a Castle and Village.' No. 2310.
'Sunset on the River.' No. 2311.
'Windsor Castle from Salt Hill.' No. 2312.
'Eton from the River.' No. 2313.