Chalk and charcoal on paper
Eclipse Sketchbook
Tate Collection
Works with images
Joseph Mallord William Turner
Turner Bequest
Eclipse Sketchbook
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>
Landscape with Commencement an Eclipse
Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
architecture
astronomy
cloud
eclipse
landscape
sky
townscape, distant
townscapes / man-made features
weather
<p>Turner used this book only to record the passing of an eclipse. As on this page opening, most of the sketches include the same building on the left-hand side, which acts as an unchanging frame for the transient effects occurring overhead. In this study the eclipse has only just begun, so that only the lower half of the sun is obscured. It has been assumed that Turner witnessed this effect in England, and this has suggested that the most likely date for the eclipse was 11 February 1804. However, a partial eclipse was also visible while he was travelling in France and Switzerland in 1802.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 1995</em></p>
paper unique chalk charcoal
Landscape with the Commencement of an Eclipse
support: 166 × 112 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>Turner used this book only to record the passing of an eclipse. As on this page opening, most of the sketches include the same building on the left-hand side, which acts as an unchanging frame for the transient effects occurring overhead. In this study the eclipse has only just begun, so that only the lower half of the sun is obscured. It has been assumed that Turner witnessed this effect in England, and this has suggested that the most likely date for the eclipse was 11 February 1804. However, a partial eclipse was also visible while he was travelling in France and Switzerland in 1802.</p>
Display caption
1995-09-25T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
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Catalogue entry
2023-03-12T00:00:00
catalogue-entry-xml
TURNER_CATALOGUE_TEXT_WORK
architecture astronomy cloud eclipse landscape sky townscape, distant townscapes / man-made features weather
LXXXV 1 a