Here's a link to my previous post about Turner from the Tate coming to Australia.
I finally made it to Adelaide to see the exhibition.
My excitement started at the luggage carousel at Adelaide airport...here's the large advert for the exhibition inside the airport terminal...
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The luggage carousel at Adelaide domestic airport. photo by Capturing Venice |
We queued briefly for tickets and to cloak our luggage, and as soon as I got inside the exhibition rooms, I raced around looking for the Venetian paintings and watercolours.
The hero image promoting the exhibition is the c1835 oil Venice - Piazetta with Ceremony of the Doge Marrying the Sea:
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JMW Turner, Venice - Piazetta with Ceremony of the Doge Marrying the Sea, c. 1835, c. Tate London |
Turner's work draws you in, and you have to get close up to appreciate the intricate detail:
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JMW Turner, (detail) Venice - Piazetta with Ceremony of the Doge Marrying the Sea, c, 1835, c. Tate London |
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JMW Turner, (detail) Venice - Piazetta with Ceremony of the Doge Marrying the Sea, c, 1835, c. Tate London |
My favourite work was this oil dated 1843 of San Benedetto, Looking Towards Fusina:
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JMW Turner, San Benedetto Looking towards Fusina, 1843, c. Tate London |
The details of the gondolas, the water, the sun and the reflections are so exquisite and perfectly capture Venice...I kept looking and looking and looking and soaking up this painting.
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JMW Turner, Detail - San Benedetto Looking towards Fusina, 1843, c. Tate London |
There was also a lovely oil depicting Santa Maria della Salute dated 1844:![]() |
JMW Turner, Venice - Church of Santa Maria della Salute, 1844, c. Tate London |
and here's a closer detail:
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JMW Turner, Detail - Venice - Church of Santa Maria della Salute, 1844, c. Tate London |
There was also an unfinished painting of the Doge's Palace and Campanile:
In addition to these four oils, the exhibition includes about half a dozen watercolours and gouaches from Venice. The earliest is dated c 1826-8 and shows the church of San Luca and back of the Palazzi Grimani from Rio San Luca:
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JMW Turner, Church of San Luca, c. 1826-8, watercolour, c. Tate London |
After writing about Turner's views from and of the Hotel Europa recently, I was really thrilled to see this 1840 watercolour of the Punta della Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute from Hotel Europa:
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JMW Turner, Punta della Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute from the Hotel Europa, 1840, watercolour, c. Tate London |
After an hour or so engrossed in the Venice room, I made a quick trip around the rest of the exhibition and then took a break in the lovely kids' activities area of the gallery:
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Children's activities room at the Art Gallery of South Australia, photo by Capturing Venice |
This is an incredibly generous exhibition: there is much to see (I've only written about the Venice room - the exhibition is a detailed survey of Turner's entire career, and includes a wonderful range of oils, drawings, watercolours, samples from his sketchbooks and much more). I had the entire day at the gallery and feel like I barely touched the surface of the exhibition, so I have plans to return whilst it's in Adelaide or see it in Canberra once it opens on 1 June.
Thank you so much for that report - and particularly for the note about how much there is to see and that we should allow a full day.
ReplyDeleteWe're off to Adelaide to see it in 3 weeks and I am already getting excited.......
Hello Maryk, I'm excited to hear that you'll get to see the exhibition in Adelaide. Enjoy, and look forward to hearing your thoughts about it. Enjoy!
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