Turner from the Tate at the Art Gallery of South Australia

I previously wrote about the exhibition Turner from the Tate, which has opened at the Art Gallery of South Australia (Adelaide) before travelling to the National Gallery of Australia (Canberra) for the winter season.

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...

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:

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:

JMW Turner, (detail) Venice - Piazetta with Ceremony of the Doge Marrying the Sea, c, 1835, c. Tate London

 

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:

 

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.

 

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:

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:

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:

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:

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.