Page 77 - Studio International - March April 1975

feel compassion if it had been itself, which is designed for such who responded in a 'progressive',
painted by a madman.' national exhibitions. It is the Recent nineteenth-century way to light,
Welt am Sonntag place where Turner began (in colour, atmosphere, the wind in
contrast to Blake who was Turner Studies the trees and blowing over the sea,
deeply embedded in the academic the clouds in the sky. The
Proof that Turner was a genius,
in the sense of one who was tradition), and best lends itself spontaneity of Turner is what
inventive, revolutionary and with its impression of past glory comes across most clearly from
relevant can be seen these days in and grandeur, to the idea of The catalogue of the recent Clark's account, and it is
the greatest evér Turner housing the entire collected works exhibition at the Royal Academy significant that he praised the
exhibition. Somewhat in advance of Turner (with the exception of shows that we have reached early Thames sketches (those
it has been mounted by the two paintings, bitterly missed by something like a consensus in our works in which Turner is most
London Tate Gallery and the critics) as they had been left to the views about Turner. The author - like Constable) almost as highly
Royal Academy inside which it nation as a bequest. Martin Butlin, Andrew Wilton as the late, very personal paintings
takes place, to celebrate the Frankfurter Allgemeine and John Gage - might not readily like Norham Castle and
bicentenary of Turner's 200th admit this, and it is true that there Snowstorm: Steamboat off a
birthday. It gathers together such The smaller Berlin exhibition are differences of emphasis Harbour's Mouth, in which form
a wealth of still unknown and two years ago of this painter between them. Nevertheless the is sacrificed to the impressionistic
normally inaccessible or scattered long dead and only little known catalogue does seem in an rendering of atmospheric effect.
oil paintings, water colours, outside his country, was interesting and surprising way to The change began in the early
drawings and sketch books, that received as an artistic sensation, crystallize attitudes that have been 1960s, although an anticipatory
floating around for some time
it would certainly need half a which was strange: England signal was sent up by the
year (the period of the exhibition) represents this artist more among Turner enthusiasts, in American scholar Mary Ann
articles, lectures, and
to take it all in. completely than ever before as Livermore in an article published
Even the first look round one who is not only her greatest conversations. Turner, it is now in 1957 on Turner's use of the
through the 600 pieces exhibited but a master of Giotto's or very generally agreed, was an poetry of James Thompson. This
there teaches us that Turner Leonardo's stature, with the same artist of formidable intellectual as forewarned us that the new
cannot be so easily classified, quality of decisive novelty, but well as visual powers, who was interpretation of Turner was
except that he was a man of as a forerunner of Impressionism devoted throughout his long going to depend amongst other
extraordinary capacity. This and a good part of our own career to the cause of poetic things on an awareness of his
London son of a barber who present art. painting. His development was interest in ideas. But from about
became a member of the R.A. at Whoever has his eyes open to continuous, and it is not just his 1962 onwards it was John Gage
the age of 24, was a born his surroundings and art, will see late, ethereal, 'prismatic' who made the running, and he
painter for whom painting even more if he follows this tip paintings - those which most more than anyone else has
and drawing were as necessary as when visiting London: look nearly anticipate modern revolutionized the study of Turner
breathing is to others. Even to the around in an English park and approaches to art - that count. in our time. In that year he began
exclusion of everything else, see how the English air, which The seeds of the late Turner were work at the Courtauld Institute on
except fishing (when he used to even on fine days is sown very early, and, conversely, the research which culminated in
observe the reflections of light imperceptibly hazy, transforms his interest in literary and his book, Colour in Turner:
on the water, and studied clouds and transfuses colours and philosophical ideas, which Poetry and Truth (1969). As he
and skies) and hiking (during shapes until they fade into the obviously dominate his early said of Turner's own perspective
which he got to know landscapes distance.... large canvases, lasted the whole of lectures, Gage's interests ranged
and towns which he committed The inner correspondence his life. far beyond colour in the narrow
to his drawing book or stored in between England's air and How different it all was twenty sense of the term. He located
his memory for future paintings). Turner's poetry of light makes years ago! Then, the student Turner in the eighteenth-century
tradition of English landscape
Even here we again have concrete this observation possible only in coming to Turner for the first
proof; Turner was the first and London. Secondly there is the time was made aware of two main painting, discussed his use of the
only English painter who had no fact that his work is concentrated influences. One, which remained old masters and his concern with
literary or intellectual related in London's museums, since he somewhat in the background but philosophical subject matter, and
intentions in his painting, bequeathed his entire works to the which was potent all the same, gave a detailed analysis of
(though he was strongly English nation. The British was A. J. Finberg's 'Life of Turner's colour theory and
influenced by the romantic Museum possesses more than J. M. W. Turner', which appeared practice in the light of previous
lyricism of his times). 19,000 drawings and water in 1939 (in the fifties it was almost and contemporary theories of
colours many of which have literally in the background, as the optics. Gage with his unrivalled
Mannheimer Morgen
never been publicly on view unsold copies had been destroyed knowledge of the painter's most
(a further exhibition at the in the Second World War and the out-of-the way works and ideas,
Even in England, William British Museum follows on book was very hard to obtain, has made Turner into a real,
Blake is still scarcely as bizarre 9 May). Most of his near 500 until it was re-published, slightly awe-inspiring, highly complex
as William Turner who, finally, paintings are kept in the Tate revised, by the author's widow in and, inevitably, very difficult
resembled him very much in Gallery which has contributed 1961). Finberg's biography was, artist. Who else but Gage would
eccentricity and wildness, yet many of the most important and is, austere, dedicated, factual, have seen significance in Turner's
who didn't have to wait till this works but a few others are still extremely long - though still far fishing-rods, which were duly
winter to gain recognition from his hanging on its walls, thus being from complete - and almost included in the Royal Academy
people as an artistic genius - a further asset. Out of the almost unreadable. Less obviously, it was exhibition ?
because there's no one else, as 700 paintings, water colours, not so objective as it purported to Meanwhile Martin Butlin was
malicious gossip might say. It can drawings and sketches of the be. In reality, it was an 'anti- pursuing a more orthodox
now be proclaimed that he was Master, which were chosen for Thornbury' tract, Thornbury approach, less concerned with
one of the few geniuses and the fourteen rooms of the being the author of the biography ideas than Gage but more
English to the core. At least for Exhibition, a mere handful of Turner published in the 1860s, sensitive to Turner's stylistic
English people he is the very originate from American which was almost everything, in development. Butlin perhaps has
essence of everything, to their way collections and a couple from both the good and bad sense, more affection for Turner's
of thinking, that reached its first Paris and Lisbon. which Finberg is not. The effect of paintings and watercolours for
highwater mark in English art He always regarded himself Finberg was to cut students off what they are rather than for what
with Reynolds and Gainsborough, as being in the landscape tradition from the nineteenth-century they reveal. Beginning with his
and, despite strong continental of the old Masters - Poussin, sources on Turner, and these superbly illustrated and
influences, has thus been named Claude Lorrain, Salvator Rosa, included not only Thornbury's thoroughly catalogued book on
the 'English school'. Loutherbourg, and the Dutch 'Life' and other reminiscences but the watercolours (1962), Butlin
Whoever is still not aware of painters such as Albert Cuyp or also Ruskin. later collaborated with Sir John
that, will be enlightened by the Jan van Goyen and the The other main influence of the Rothenstein on a badly illustrated
powerful exhibition, as much in Englishmen Richard Wilson and fifties was Sir Kenneth (as he then book on the oils and was
quality as in quantity, of the main Alexander Cozens. But he was) Clark's chapters in responsible for the selection and
body of William Turner's work wanted to surpass them - he 'Landscape into Art'. There cataloguing of the oils in the
which has been mounted by the succeeded. Turner was presented as a recent exhibition. Both the oils
Royal Academy in conjunction Der Tagespiegel tremendously exciting artist, a and the watercolours (chosen and
with the Tate Gallery (and other Translated by N. C. Roper truly independent spirit who was catalogued by Andrew Wilton)
museums lending work) in the one of the great liberating forces were in good hands on that
classical salons of Burlington in nineteenth-century painting. occasion. The exhibition gave one
House, Piccadilly, No place He was seen, not certainly as a a renewed sense (somewhat lost in
could be better chosen than this precursor of the Impressionists in other studies of recent years) of
building of the Royal Academy any crude sense, but as an artist the evolution of Turner's art:
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