Open IIIF manifest What is IIIF IIIF viewers

Heaped thundercloud over sea and land

Maker

(artist)
1775-1851

Title

Date of Production

(circa) 1835 - 1840

Medium

watercolour, bodycolour on brown wove paper

Dimensions

Height: 22.5 cm
Width: 29.1 cm

Accession Number

D.1974.STC.3

Mode of Acquisition

Jeanne Courtauld, gift, in memory of Sir Stephen Courtauld, 1974

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords

Label Text

Although Turner was fascinated with the appearance of sky and cloud formations, he was more concerned to note atmospheric effects than to make an accurate meteorological record. Here, using broad sweeps of colour over buff paper, left bare in places to resemble sand, he creates a vivid impression of thunderous clouds and streaks of rain lashing over the sea and land. It seems likely that these sketchbook studies were made by Turner purely for their own sake rather than as preparatory works.

Provenance

bequeathed by the artist to his housekeeper, Sophia Booth, 1851; purchased from her by John Ruskin (1819-1900), by 1878; bequeathed by him to his cousin and heir, Joan Agnew Severn (1846-1924) and her husband, Joseph Arthur Palliser Severn (1842-1931), 1900; Sir Frederick Wigan, Bart., Mortlake, Surrey (1827-1907); his estate sale, Christie's (London), 9 December 1915, lot 58; purchased there by Thomas Agnew & Sons (London); purchased there by Sir Stephen Courtauld (1883-1967), 23 December 1916; by descent to Jeanne Courtauld, 1972; presented by Jeanne Courtauld in memory of Stephen Courtauld, 1974

Exhibition History

The Courtauld Collection. A Vision for Impressionism, Louis Vuitton Foundation, Paris, 20/02/2019-17/06/2019

Wolken Welt des Flüchtigen, Leopold Museum, Vienna, 22/03/2013-01/07/2013

Turner - Painter of Elements, Turner Contemporary & Margate & England, 28/01/2012-22/04/2012 ...More

Turner - Painter of Elements, Bucerius Kunst Forum & Hamburg & German, 04/06/2011-11/09/2011

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

J.M.W. Turner, 'That Greatest of Landscape Painters' -
Watercolours from London Museums, Tulsa, USA, 08/02/1998-12/04/1998

Making and Meaning: Turner and The Fighting Temeraire, National Gallery, London, 03/07/1995-01/10/1995

Turner & the coast of Kent, Canterbury City Museum, 07/10/1989-28/10/1989

Turner, Prout, Steer - Three Bequests to the Courtauld Institute
Galleries, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1980

English Landscape Drawing and Watercolours, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/05/1977-01/06/1977

Watercolours by J. M. W. Turner from the Collection of Sir Stephen Courtauld, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, May 1974-May 1974 ...Less

Literature

Serres, Karen (ed.), The Courtauld Collection: A Vision for Impressionism, Paul Holberton Publishing 2019
ill. on p. 341

Wolken: Welt des Flüchtigen, Leopold Museum, Vienna, 2013
p. 354
ill. on p. 108

Turner and the elements, Bucerius Kunst Forum, Hamburg; Muzeum Narodowe, Krakow; Turner Contemporary, Margate, 2011-2012
fig.56 on p. 173 ...More

Paths to Fame: Turner Watercolours from The Courtauld Gallery, Wordsworth Trust; Courtauld Gallery, 2008-2009
no. 27
ill. on p.139-40

J.M.W. Turner, 'That Greatest of Landscape Painters' - Watercolours from London Museums, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1998

J.M.W. Turner, "that greatest of landscape painters": watercolors from London museums, Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1998
no. 30
ill. on p. 133

Turner, The Fighting Temeraire, The National Gallery, London, 1995
p. 66 and no. 73

Yardley, Edward, 'A Margate Sketchbook Re-assembled?' in 'Turner Studies', 1984 - 53-55; 4, no. 2
no. 114

Turner Prout Steer Three Bequests to the Courtauld Institute of Art, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1980
no. 13 (Turner)
incorrectly identifies it as Wilton 1391

Wilton, Andrew, The life and work of J.M.W. Turner, London, 1979
no. 1392

English Landscape Drawing and Watercolours, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1977
cat. no. 33

English landscape drawings and watercolours, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1977
no. 33

Kitson, Michael, Watercolours by J.M.W. Turner: Turner watercolours from the collection of Stephen Courtauld, London, Courtauld Institute of Art, 1974
no. 12 ...Less

Inscriptions

Inscription: none.

Collector's mark: none.

Watermark: none.

Information on this object may be incomplete and will be updated as research progresses. We are particularly committed to addressing any discriminatory or offensive language and ideas that might be present in our records. To help improve this record, and to enquire about images of The Courtauld Gallery Collection, please email gallery.collectionsonline@courtauld.ac.uk. Find out more about using and licensing our images.

____________________________

Buy a print from our collection