1825: AGED FIFTY
A SOMEWHAT BARREN YEAR COMMENTED ON IN A BITTER LAMENT BY RUSKIN
A somewhat barren year for Turner as regards exhibited work. One
picture only was shown, 'The Harbour of Dieppe,' which the present
generation saw at the Old Masters Exhibition of 1910, a flayed and not
very interesting picture.
The 'Thames' Sketch-Book of 1825 opens with some calculations as to
'the House, Taxes, etc.,' and later there is a water-colour of a Barge
with the following in his handwriting: 'Tarpaulin in the light green.'
In the 'Mortlake and Pulborough' Sketch-Book on a drawing of Three
Views of a River are these notes:--
'Children yoked to twig cart,' 'Sheep,' 'River,' 'Park Monsel' (or
'Mount,') 'Stoten or Storton.'
In the 'Holland' Sketch-Book are eleven successive drawings of Cliffs,
twenty-five of Scenes on Coast, thirty-five of Shipping, and twenty
of Views on the River. This Book also contains a sketch of Terburg's
'Visit of Parents' with this comment: 'Green drapery, beautiful Satin,'
and the following against a drawing of a Bridge: 'The whole of the
Bridge in shadow, Water, Blue-grey. 10 o'clock--at five sunrise.' Here,
finally, is a scene that he may have intended to use as a foreground
written on a drawing of a Market-place:--
'Mountebank selling Eau-de-Cologne, beating a drum,' 'Man trying on
Boots, all on the ground,' 'Bird Cages,' 'Pots,' 'Pans,' etc.
In this year his friend and patron Mr. Fawkes of Farnley died. Turner
was much affected and would never visit the house again. His friendship
with the son, Hawkesworth Fawkes, continued to the end of his life,
to January 31st, 1851, under which date there is a letter to 'dear
Hawkesworth' extant.
Ruskin considered that about 1825 a grievous metamorphosis took place
in Turner, that his work became 'partly satirical, partly reckless, and
partly--and in its greatest and noblest features--tragic'--a bitter
lament.
Well, he was yet to produce such a sane and magnificent work as 'The
Burial of Wilkie,' the antithesis of satire, recklessness, and tragedy;
he was yet to awaken to the vision of 'Rain, Steam, and Speed' which
Mallarmé seeing, said, 'Turner is the greatest painter that has ever
lived.' He was yet to will the later water-colours.