Watercolour and gouache on paper
Skies Sketchbook
Tate Collection
Works with images
Joseph Mallord William Turner
Turner Bequest
Skies Sketchbook
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>
Red Sky and Crescent Moon
Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
astronomy
cloud
evening
landscape
landscape - non-specific
moon
sky
times of the day
weather
<p>Turner gave this sketchbook the simple title, 'Skies'. The book contains sixty-five watercolour studies of clouds, sunsets and moonlight, which constitutes his most sustained attempt to set down his impressions of the perpetual flux of the sky. The contents of the book date from 1818, the year before Turner made his first trip to Italy, so we can assume that these are records of the skies above England. The vibrant, but subdued colours used for this study of the early evening sky may reflect the unusual atmospheric conditions which followed the explosion of Mount Tabora in 1815. In the ensuing years, huge amounts of volcanic dust hung in the air, causing great variations in the weather, and producing dramatic sunsets.</p><p><em>Gallery label, August 2004</em></p>
paper unique watercolour gouache
Red Sky and Crescent Moon
support: 125 × 247 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 gave this sketchbook the simple title, 'Skies'. The book contains sixty-five <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/w/watercolour" title="Glossary definition for 'Watercolour'"><span>watercolour</span></a> studies of clouds, sunsets and moonlight, which constitutes his most sustained attempt to set down his impressions of the perpetual flux of the sky. The contents of the book date from 1818, the year before Turner made his first trip to Italy, so we can assume that these are records of the skies above England. The vibrant, but subdued colours used for this study of the early evening sky may reflect the unusual atmospheric conditions which followed the explosion of Mount Tabora in 1815. In the ensuing years, huge amounts of volcanic dust hung in the air, causing great variations in the weather, and producing dramatic sunsets.</p>
Display caption
2004-08-18T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
astronomy cloud evening landscape landscape - non-specific moon sky times of the day weather
CLVIII 54