DOI issue:
No. 5 (August, 1893)
DOI article:Hartley, Alfred: Sketching from nature
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17188#0197
Sketching from ATat lire
with a few powerful strokes convey living im- is by this means that we get an idea of Turner's
pressions of ships and boats under the strongest greatness.
effects of shadow and light, and to turn and trace the I will only instance one more water-colour, for
extraordinarily sensitive lines by which he helps us these things have already most of them been de-
to see Rome from Mo>ite Mario, or the Castle and scribed, and in eloquent words; but the Giudecca,
Bridge of St. Angelo. Venice, as an example of sweet colour and mys-
Equally distinguished, but entirely different in terious beauty is unsurpassable, and as worthy as
treatment, is a small drawing of the Arch of Titles, anything in the whole collection of the hand that
This appeals to me most strongly as an evidence of produced it.
the peculiarly fine manner in which Turner saw It recalls to me a very similar effect which I was
MP
: iZ.J
p3
FROM A SKETCH BY HENRY G. MOON
things. A few admirably drawn pencil lines on fortunate enough to witness two years ago in
grey paper, a little white chalk here and there, and another Italian city—Naples,
the Arch of Titus looms before us through a pearly Seen from the sea, early on a spring day, the
haze in a way which is quite astonishing when we harbour and town lay enshrouded in morning mists ;
consider the simplicity of the means used. then as the sun arose and gradually dispersed the
Notice, too, the magnificent way in which some peach-coloured and violet veil, and the city emerged
of the water-colours are seen and rendered. by degrees from its wreaths of vapour, I could not
In the Martigny and Chateau there is a but think of Turner and of the way in which he
grandeur of conception which is astonishing. The —perhaps alone—had succeeded in rendering
castle, enveloped in the blue grey shadow which such delicate and beautiful effects,
sweeps across the valley, struggles through the haze Recall some of the hundreds of pictures of
in which distance, middle distance and foreground, Venice done since his day, most of which fail
are bathed. Think of this same subject as it entirely to move us except as photographic repro-
might be rendered by more ordinary painters ! It ductions, extremely skilful it may be, in many
179
with a few powerful strokes convey living im- is by this means that we get an idea of Turner's
pressions of ships and boats under the strongest greatness.
effects of shadow and light, and to turn and trace the I will only instance one more water-colour, for
extraordinarily sensitive lines by which he helps us these things have already most of them been de-
to see Rome from Mo>ite Mario, or the Castle and scribed, and in eloquent words; but the Giudecca,
Bridge of St. Angelo. Venice, as an example of sweet colour and mys-
Equally distinguished, but entirely different in terious beauty is unsurpassable, and as worthy as
treatment, is a small drawing of the Arch of Titles, anything in the whole collection of the hand that
This appeals to me most strongly as an evidence of produced it.
the peculiarly fine manner in which Turner saw It recalls to me a very similar effect which I was
MP
: iZ.J
p3
FROM A SKETCH BY HENRY G. MOON
things. A few admirably drawn pencil lines on fortunate enough to witness two years ago in
grey paper, a little white chalk here and there, and another Italian city—Naples,
the Arch of Titus looms before us through a pearly Seen from the sea, early on a spring day, the
haze in a way which is quite astonishing when we harbour and town lay enshrouded in morning mists ;
consider the simplicity of the means used. then as the sun arose and gradually dispersed the
Notice, too, the magnificent way in which some peach-coloured and violet veil, and the city emerged
of the water-colours are seen and rendered. by degrees from its wreaths of vapour, I could not
In the Martigny and Chateau there is a but think of Turner and of the way in which he
grandeur of conception which is astonishing. The —perhaps alone—had succeeded in rendering
castle, enveloped in the blue grey shadow which such delicate and beautiful effects,
sweeps across the valley, struggles through the haze Recall some of the hundreds of pictures of
in which distance, middle distance and foreground, Venice done since his day, most of which fail
are bathed. Think of this same subject as it entirely to move us except as photographic repro-
might be rendered by more ordinary painters ! It ductions, extremely skilful it may be, in many
179