Chichester Canal by Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851). c. 1828. Oil on canvas, 654 x 1346 mm. Courtesy of Tate Britain (Accession no. NO0560. Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856). Click on image to enlarge it.
Commentary from Tate Britain Online (2010)
Turner’s first painting of Petworth, a palatial country house and estate inland from Chichester in West Sussex, was made following a visit in 1809. Its owner, the Earl of Egremont, supported contemporary artists and had already begun a major collection of Turner’s paintings. He stayed at Petworth again in 1827 and often until the Earl’s death in 1837, even being allocated a room for his studio. He began work on four paintings on a double-square format for specific positions in Petworth’s Carved Room, looking out towards the lake. These are three of the studies he made for the series.
Last modified 14 May 2016