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Works Thomas Girtin and Joseph Mallord William Turner after (?) John Robert Cozens

An Unidentified Lakeside Town, Possibly on Lake Como

1794 - 1797

Primary Image: TG0506: Thomas Girtin (1775–1802) and Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851), after (?) John Robert Cozens (1752–97), An Unidentified Lakeside Town, Possibly on Lake Como, 1794–97, graphite and watercolour on paper, 15.5 × 27.5 cm, 6 ⅛ × 10 ⅞ in. Private Collection.

Photo courtesy of Sotheby's (All Rights Reserved)

Description
Creator(s)
Thomas Girtin (1775-1802) and Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851) after (?) John Robert Cozens (1752-1797)
Title
  • An Unidentified Lakeside Town, Possibly on Lake Como
Date
1794 - 1797
Medium and Support
Graphite and watercolour on paper
Dimensions
15.5 × 27.5 cm, 6 ⅛ × 10 ⅞ in
Object Type
Collaborations; Monro School Copy
Subject Terms
Lake Scenery; Unidentified Topographical View

Collection
Catalogue Number
TG0506
Description Source(s)
Auction Catalogue

Provenance

Sotheby's, 14 March 1985, lot 106 as 'View Overlooking an Alpine Lake' by Joseph Mallord William Turner, unsold

About this Work

This unidentified lake scene appeared on the art market in 1985, when it was described as possibly being an ‘Italian Lake, similar to Lake Como with the town of Bellagio’. The form of the mountains and the composition do indeed bear a resemblance to views on Lake Como (such as TG0503) and, more particularly, the view of Bellagio (TG0505), but it has not been possible to identify the location shown with any degree of certainty. Indeed, the broad dome at the centre of this composition is not a feature of any of Como’s lakeside towns and it may be wise to look elsewhere for the watercolour’s subject. The suggestion that the work may be based on a sketch by John Robert Cozens (1752–97) has also led to fruitless enquires. No Cozens subject matches this composition, and, although it is possible that the work was executed at the home of Dr Thomas Monro (1759–1833) from a lost sketch by the artist, the elongated proportions and other features, such as the lack of an inscription, throw some doubt on this. As for the attribution of a work that was given solely to Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851) when it last appeared at auction, as far as one can tell at this distance, and working only from a small colour image, the watercolour washes do not seem inconsistent with his practice when working for Monro in the years between 1794 and 1797. What pencil work can be seen is not at variance with Girtin’s work either, though the relatively dense use of colour makes any thoughts on that artist’s involvement in what could be a collaboration typical of the many hundreds that he undertook with Turner merely conjectural.

1794 - 1797

Lake Como

TG0503

1794 - 1797

Lake Como, Looking North to the Village of Bellagio

TG0505

by Greg Smith

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