Gouache and watercolour on paper
France
Tate Collection
Works with images
Joseph Mallord William Turner
Turner Bequest
Collection
Turner owned by Tate
<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>
City with Port Moselle or Meuse
Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
architecture
boat - non-specific
countries and continents
France
places
river
society
townscape
townscapes / man-made features
transport: water
water: inland
paper unique gouache watercolour
City, with Port (?Moselle or Meuse)
support: 139 × 187 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
<p>
This work by Turner is a gouache and watercolour on a medium weight, grey wove paper. Titled <i>Harbour at Marseilles</i>, it is a loose, informal sketch or unfinished work. Seemingly loose shapes and marks form the basis of the composition while hurried detail is picked out on top. There seems to be no apparent rule about whether the watercolour is applied first and the gouache second as a detailer or highlighter or vice versa, since the layering and manner to which the two media are layered does fluctuate.
</p>
<p>
Though generally in quite good condition, the thick off-white and cream gouache in the right hand area of the sky and the marks in the foreground do appear to be quite friable and indeed seems to have flaked and lost particles in patches of perhaps the more thicker pigment. It is known that Turner used little or no binder in his use of lead white which means that any pigment with enough lead white blended into it is prone to flaking and losses. Otherwise this work is in quite good condition with the pigments retaining a good deal of their vibrancy.
</p>
<p>
Jo Gracey<br/>
June 2001
</p>
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Technique and condition
2001-11-28T00:00:00
technique-and-condition
TECHNIQUE_AND_CONDITION_TEXT
architecture boat - non-specific countries and continents France places river society townscape townscapes / man-made features transport: water water: inland
CCXCII 74