Gouache and watercolour on paper
Venice: Interiors and Figure Scenes
Venice: Interiors and Figure Scenes
Venice, Austria and Southern Germany 1840
Venice, Austria and Southern Germany 1840
Italy
Tate Collection
Works with images
Joseph Mallord William Turner
Turner Bequest
Collection
Turner owned by Tate
Catalogued Turner works on paper
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/joseph-mallord-william-turner-558" aria-label="More by Joseph Mallord William Turner" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Joseph Mallord William Turner</a>
Interior a Theatre Venice
Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
adults
audience
cities, towns, villages (non-UK)
countries and continents
figure
groups
interiors
Italy
leisure and pastimes
music and entertainment
people
places
places of entertainment
theatre
theatre
Venice - non-specific
<p>The warm brown of the paper here helps Turner to quickly evoke the interior of a Venetian theatre. Using hurried strokes of white gouache, he outlines the theatre’s architecture, from the white-washed stage on the right to the tiers of boxes on the left. Figures in brown and red hold the stage. We can imagine the figures in the foreground to be audience members wearing suits and fine dresses. This sketch was possibly taken during an opera performance. Turner loved music and the theatre and would often seek out concerts when abroad.</p><p><em>Gallery label, October 2023</em></p>
paper unique gouache watercolour
9 October 2003 – 30 May 2004
2004-05-30
9 October 2003 – 11 January 2004
2004-01-11
2003-10-09
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
15 February 2004 – 30 May 2004
2004-05-30
2004-02-15
Kimbell Art Museum (Fort Worth, USA)
http://www.kimbellart.org
2003-10-09
Turner and Venice
Exhibition
13 March 2023
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2023-03-13
Gallery 102
Collection based display
The Interior of a Theatre, Venice
support: 224 × 293 mm
Accepted by the nation as part of the <a href="/search?gid=999999781" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">Turner Bequest</a> 1856
<div class="text">
<p>The warm brown of the paper here helps Turner to quickly evoke the interior of a Venetian theatre. Using hurried strokes of white gouache, he outlines the theatre’s architecture, from the white-washed stage on the right to the tiers of boxes on the left. Figures in brown and red hold the stage. We can imagine the figures in the foreground to be audience members wearing suits and fine dresses. This sketch was possibly taken during an opera performance. Turner loved music and the theatre and would often seek out concerts when abroad.</p>
</div>

Display caption
2023-10-25T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p>
This work by Turner is a watercolour and gouache painted sketch on a poor quality brown wove paper. Titled <i>Interior of a Theatre</i> this work appears to be a quick, impression that is made up with a combination of both fluid and dry scratchy marks. The brush strokes seem quite hurried and loose, giving a very sketchy feel to this work.
</p>
<p>
The overall condition of this work is not good. Having been exposed at some point to significant moisture, there are some quite noticeable dark tide lines over large areas of the support, particularly in the lower half. These are quite disfiguring and certainly confuse the image. The lead white pigment has also degraded having significantly oxidised leaving only a suggestion that it was once white. In some areas the white has disappeared completely leaving a darkish mark with a darker tide line. The only 'white' that remains, perhaps where the paint was applied thicker, appears now as only a grainy wash.
</p>
<p>
Jo Gracey<br/>
April 2001
</p>
<!--end text-->
Technique and condition
2001-11-28T00:00:00
technique-and-condition
TECHNIQUE_AND_CONDITION_TEXT
/art/ajax/research-text/art/artworks/turner-the-interior-of-a-theatre-venice-d32237/TURNER_CATALOGUE_TEXT_WORK
Catalogue entry
2019-12-08T00:00:00
catalogue-entry-xml
TURNER_CATALOGUE_TEXT_WORK
adults audience cities, towns, villages (non-UK) countries and continents figure groups interiors Italy leisure and pastimes music and entertainment people places places of entertainment theatre theatre Venice - non-specific
CCCXVIII 18