Chatel Argent and the Val d'Aosta from above Villeneuve

Joseph Mallord William Turner

1836 · Watercolor and gouache (bodycolor) over graphite · Drawings and Prints

The French alpine view begins above the road to St. Pierre and looks back to Chatel Argent with the Church of St. Roch described below the castle at left. Extending beyond are the river, old bridge and town of Villeneuve, backed by the Val de Rhemes and summit of the Grande Rousse. The carefully applied layers of watercolor likely were applied in the studio, or at a hotel after a day's sketching, although the effects convey the spontaneity and unfinished sensibilty of a work executed before the motif. The attribution of this sheet was once questioned but conservation in 2001 affirmed it to be a beautiful and authentic work.

Artist

Joseph Mallord William Turner

Date

1836

Medium

Watercolor and gouache (bodycolor) over graphite

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of Harold K. Hochschild, 1940