Random pic 11 December 2023
At Turner's house, St. Margaret's: his portable pallet https://flic.kr/p/2pcj6FaJ.M.W.Turner
Travelling watercolour palette, c.1840
Leather pocket pouch and glued on watercolour blocks.
Turner was extremely practical when on the road, as this makeshift watercolour kit created by him demonstrates.
Comprising a leather wallet containing 12 watercolour cakes it was much more portable, and far less likely to break, than a porcelain palette. There is also a tantalising hint of Turner's resourcefulness and ingenuity during his first major Italian tour in a press notice regarding the sale of the estate of Anne Holworthy, the wife of one of the artist's significant patrons, which occurred in 1868. Along with two watercolours of Italian views, this sale included an 'interesting relic': a small snuff-box made out of lava from Vesuvius, which Turner allegedly used as a palette while in Italy. Though the whereabouts of this improvised palette are unknown, Turner may have obtained and then adapted the souvenir when he climbed Vesuvius during his stay in Naples in 1819. (Text from exhibit. )
Private collection
Michael Ixer ● 562d0 Comments