Turner comes to Barnstaple
Barnstaple Bridge at sunset by J.M.W. Turner on display from 20 July to 12 October
Barnstaple residents and visitors are in for a treat this summer as a new exhibition, featuring the work of one of Britain's most celebrated artists, Joseph Mallord William Turner, is set to open at the Barnstaple Museum.
Turner in Barnstaple will showcase Barnstaple Bridge at Sunset c.1814 by J.M.W. Turner, on loan from the Tate.
The exhibition, along with a series of related events, will delve into Barnstaple's rich history during Turner's visits in the early 19th century.
Turner, often known as Britain’s most beloved painter, visited Barnstaple twice.
During these visits, he created pencil sketches and a small watercolour of Barnstaple Bridge. These works were part of a broader sketching tour of the West Country in 1813.
Turner's creations from this tour are part of the Turner Bequest, a vast collection held by the Tate, comprising nearly 300 oil paintings, about 30,000 sketches and watercolours, and 300 sketchbooks.
Although Turner was born in London, his connection to Devon runs deep.
His father previously lived in South Molton, and Turner himself reputedly felt a strong affinity with the county.
In Fifty Years’ Recollections, Literary and Personal, with Observations on Men and Things (1858), Cyrus Redding recounts a conversation with Turner where the artist declared: “You may add my name to the list. I am a Devonshire man.”
When asked which part of Devon he was from, Turner replied, “From Barnstaple.”
The Turner in Barnstaple exhibition will be open to the public free of charge from Saturday, 20 July to Saturday, 12 October 2024.