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Chelsea Hospital

Maker

(artist)
1775-1851

Title

Chelsea Hospital

Date of Production

(circa) 1794 - 1795

Medium

graphite on wove paper

Dimensions

Height: 12.8 cm
Width: 20.8 cm

Accession Number

D.1952.RW.1178

Mode of Acquisition

Robert Clermont Witt, bequest, 1952

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords

Label Text

This small sketch is the basis for one of a number of designs by Turner that appeared in the 'Pocket Magazine'. From a boat on the river, he has drawn Christopher Wren's imposing hospital building, allowing the stairs to the popular Ranelagh Gardens to take centre stage. As so often in his pencil sketches, he makes only a summary record of architectural details: numbers on the facade indicate the amount of windows to be included in the finished watercolour study (untraced) for the use of the engraver.

Provenance

friend of the artist, Charles Stokes (1784-1853); Thomas Hughes; by descent to his niece, Mrs F. Hughes; her sale, Sotheby's (London), 28 November 1922, lot 152; purchased there by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952), L.2228b (£2.5); Witt Bequest 1952

Exhibition History

Paths to Fame - Turner's Watercolour Landscapes, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 30/10/2008-25/01/2009

Paths to Fame - Turner's Watercolour Landscapes, Wordsworth Trust, Grasmere, England, 16/07/2008-12/10/2008

Literature

Paths to Fame: Turner Watercolours from The Courtauld Gallery, Wordsworth Trust; Courtauld Gallery, 2008-2009
no. 7
Fig. p. 57

Blunt, Anthony, Hand-list of the drawings in the Witt Collection, London, 1956
p. 52

Inscriptions

Inscription: 5 7- 8

Collector's mark: collector's mark of Sir Robert Witt (L.2228b)

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