In Turner’s Footsteps between Lucerne and Thun: #5 Lucerne from near the Hofkirche

Here we continue to explore the sketches in Turner’s Between Lucerne and Thun sketchbook, completing an excursion along the lake front from the Swan Hotel to some distance east of the Hofkirche. These sketches form the basis of a studio watercolour painted in 1845, from which we might infer that the visit was Turner’s last … Continue reading In Turner’s Footsteps between Lucerne and Thun: #5 Lucerne from near the Hofkirche →

In Turner’s Footsteps between Lucerne and Thun: #4 Lucerne from the Swan Hotel to the Hofkirche

In the second page-spread of Turner’s Between Lucerne and Thun sketchbook, the artist continues an excursion from the Hotel Swan at Lucerne along the lake front in the direction of the Hofkirche. In the 1840s most of this distance was spanned by an old wooden covered bridge, the Hofbrucke. Today, the area is Lucerne’s premier … Continue reading In Turner’s Footsteps between Lucerne and Thun: #4 Lucerne from the Swan Hotel to the Hofkirche →

In Turner’s Footsteps between Lucerne and Thun: #3 Lucerne, Schwanenplatz

Turner visited Lucerne several times in the early 1840s. He stayed at the Swan Hotel which was built in 1835. The building survives intact, but no longer functions as a hotel. A first floor restaurant, however, maintains the traditions of hospitality. In Turner's day it was the newest hotel on the lake front, and the … Continue reading In Turner’s Footsteps between Lucerne and Thun: #3 Lucerne, Schwanenplatz →

In Turner’s Footsteps between Lucerne and Thun: #2 Lucerne, Wasserturm and Kapellbrucke

Turner, like almost every visitor to Lucerne, started his exploration of the town at the covered bridge, the Kapellbrucke [Chapel Bridge]. This spans the River Reuss at its outflow from the Lake of Lucerne and is dominated by the spike of the Wasserturm [Water Tower]. The tower was built about 1330 as part of the … Continue reading In Turner’s Footsteps between Lucerne and Thun: #2 Lucerne, Wasserturm and Kapellbrucke →

The Lake of Lucerne and Mont Rigi from the Swan Hotel., Lucerne; Called ‘The Rigi at Sunset’, c.1842

Lucerne Kunstmuseum, Switzerland Watercolour and gouache, 9 ¾ × 14 ¼ inches · 247 × 362 mm Turner catalogues: Wilton1472; tdb1577 This is a medium-sized watercolour sketch of broad lake scene, suffused with light and colour, with quays in the foreground, full of suggestions of activity. In the left distance is a rosy-coloured mountain with … Continue reading The Lake of Lucerne and Mont Rigi from the Swan Hotel., Lucerne; Called ‘The Rigi at Sunset’, c.1842 →

Turner at Brunnen, Lake Lucerne

2018 brings an especially Sublime sighting. On 30 January, Christie's, New York offers a superb late Turner watercolour of ‘The Lake of Lucerne from Brunnen, with a Steamer’. This is being sold by a private American collector, and was last seen in Britain when it was sold by Christie’s in London in 1976. The sale … Continue reading Turner at Brunnen, Lake Lucerne →

Update: Turner and Heidelberg – a newly identified source for the Tate painting

Since completing part #6 of the SublimeSites.co series on Turner and Heidelberg, I have discovered a potential literary source for the subject of the Tate oil painting. In part #6, I suggested that the composition of the painting was based on a sketch in the 'Mountain Fortress' sketchbook in the Turner Bequest at the Tate … Continue reading Update: Turner and Heidelberg – a newly identified source for the Tate painting →

In Turner’s Footsteps at Heidelberg: Part 5

This post continues the series begun on 19 October 2015 and continued on 18, 20 and 23 November 2015. In part #1, I followed in the footsteps of Turner’s comprehensive exploration of Heidelberg in 1833. In part #2, I looked at a major finished watercolour that he developed in the early 1840s, and a return … Continue reading In Turner’s Footsteps at Heidelberg: Part 5 →

Turner in Switzerland #3: Zurich by Moonlight

Regular readers (!?) may be thinking that this site is becoming overly sublunary. This is the third article to follow Turner’s footsteps into the night. I ought to confess that I do have at least one other article to write on the theme, but that may wait a little. This one, however, follows hard on … Continue reading Turner in Switzerland #3: Zurich by Moonlight →

Turner in Switzerland #2:Lucerne by Moonlight

REVISED VERSION WITH NEW PHOTOS, JUNE 2014 This article seeks to give some consideration to a well-known, but relatively-little-discussed watercolour by Turner, Lucerne by Moonlight at the British Museum, London (note 1). Given that it is widely considered to be one of the most important of a great late series of Swiss subjects from the … Continue reading Turner in Switzerland #2:Lucerne by Moonlight →