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| Walter Scott's poems and Turner's paintings celebrated in an exhibition at the Bowes Museum | Walter Scott's poems and Turner's paintings celebrated in an exhibition at the Bowes Museum |
| (2 months later) | |
| The collaboration between Walter Scott and JMW Turner over illustrations for the former's poem Rokeby is examined in an exhibition at the Bowes Museum that opens on Saturday. | The collaboration between Walter Scott and JMW Turner over illustrations for the former's poem Rokeby is examined in an exhibition at the Bowes Museum that opens on Saturday. |
| Rokeby is set in Yorkshire during the English civil war, in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Marston Moor. Now largely out of print and seldom read, the lengthy epic poem of love and hate and revenge in rhyming couplets was, in its day it, hugely successful. When the time came to include it in an edition of Scott's complete poems, his publisher recommended commissioning Turner to produce illustrations it, claiming that he could sell 3000 copies unillustrated, or 8000 copies with Turner's works included. | Rokeby is set in Yorkshire during the English civil war, in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Marston Moor. Now largely out of print and seldom read, the lengthy epic poem of love and hate and revenge in rhyming couplets was, in its day it, hugely successful. When the time came to include it in an edition of Scott's complete poems, his publisher recommended commissioning Turner to produce illustrations it, claiming that he could sell 3000 copies unillustrated, or 8000 copies with Turner's works included. |
| Turner had first visited Teesdale in 1797, long before Scott. In all he made four visits to the area, the final one in 1831, when he was specifically working on illustrations for Scott's poems. His first visit was made a year after Thomas Girtin had toured the area, and was probably made at his friend and rival's suggestion. | Turner had first visited Teesdale in 1797, long before Scott. In all he made four visits to the area, the final one in 1831, when he was specifically working on illustrations for Scott's poems. His first visit was made a year after Thomas Girtin had toured the area, and was probably made at his friend and rival's suggestion. |
| Scott visited Rokeby Park several times while writing Rokeby, and descriptions of the landscape feature prominently in the poem – as, for example, in these florid lines on a sunset in the area: | Scott visited Rokeby Park several times while writing Rokeby, and descriptions of the landscape feature prominently in the poem – as, for example, in these florid lines on a sunset in the area: |
| But mountain peak and village spire Retain reflection of his fire Old Barnard's towers are purple still To those that gaze from Toller Hill Distant and high the towers of Bowes Like steel upon the anvil glows; And Stainmore's ridge behind that lay Rich with the spoils of parting day. | But mountain peak and village spire Retain reflection of his fire Old Barnard's towers are purple still To those that gaze from Toller Hill Distant and high the towers of Bowes Like steel upon the anvil glows; And Stainmore's ridge behind that lay Rich with the spoils of parting day. |
Scott was a close friend of John Morritt, the owner of Rokeby Park, and Rokeby is dedicated to him. Morritt was a well-travelled and cultivated landowner. His main claim to fame was as the purchaser of what became known as the Rokeby Venus, Velasquez' painting of the "Toilet of Venus". The painting had been looted from Spain during the Peninsular War, and Morritt paid £500 for it in around 1808. He wrote to Scott saying he had been rehanging his collection to show | Scott was a close friend of John Morritt, the owner of Rokeby Park, and Rokeby is dedicated to him. Morritt was a well-travelled and cultivated landowner. His main claim to fame was as the purchaser of what became known as the Rokeby Venus, Velasquez' painting of the "Toilet of Venus". The painting had been looted from Spain during the Peninsular War, and Morritt paid £500 for it in around 1808. He wrote to Scott saying he had been rehanging his collection to show |
| my fine painting of Venus's backside by Velasquez, which I have at length exalted over my chimneypiece in the library. It is an admirable light for the painting and shows it to perfection, whilst by raising the said backside to a considerable height the ladies may avert their downcast eyes without difficult, and connoisseurs steal a glance without drawing in the said posterior as part of the company. | my fine painting of Venus's backside by Velasquez, which I have at length exalted over my chimneypiece in the library. It is an admirable light for the painting and shows it to perfection, whilst by raising the said backside to a considerable height the ladies may avert their downcast eyes without difficult, and connoisseurs steal a glance without drawing in the said posterior as part of the company. |
| The "said posterior" was eventually sold by the Morritts, and acquired in 1906 by the National Gallery, by which time the price had risen to £45,000. | The "said posterior" was eventually sold by the Morritts, and acquired in 1906 by the National Gallery, by which time the price had risen to £45,000. |
| Many of the places Scott describes and Turner sketched are virtually unchanged today. The Greta gorge is still as Scott described it: | Many of the places Scott describes and Turner sketched are virtually unchanged today. The Greta gorge is still as Scott described it: |
| The river runs with very great rapidity over a bed of solid rock, broken by many shelving descents, down which the stream dashes with great noise and impetuosity... The banks partake of the same wild and romantic character, being chiefly lofty cliffs of limestone rock, whose grey colour contrasts admirably with the various trees and shrubs which find root among their crevices | The river runs with very great rapidity over a bed of solid rock, broken by many shelving descents, down which the stream dashes with great noise and impetuosity... The banks partake of the same wild and romantic character, being chiefly lofty cliffs of limestone rock, whose grey colour contrasts admirably with the various trees and shrubs which find root among their crevices |
| The popularity of the poem, and of Turner's Teesdale work, encouraged early tourists to the area – in 1859 the artist Alfred William Hunt, returning from a tour of the continent, wrote somewhat hyperbolically | The popularity of the poem, and of Turner's Teesdale work, encouraged early tourists to the area – in 1859 the artist Alfred William Hunt, returning from a tour of the continent, wrote somewhat hyperbolically |
| all Germany and Switzerland put together would not be worth a mile or two of Greta from point of view of delightfulness. | all Germany and Switzerland put together would not be worth a mile or two of Greta from point of view of delightfulness. |
| Many other artists were also inspired to visit and to paint, and works by some of them are included, hanging alongside the ten Turners and two Girtins in this exhibition, with works from the Bowes' own collection, as well as loans from galleries including the Tate, the Ashmolean, the V&A, the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle, Manchester City Galleries, Leeds Art Gallery, the Wordsworth Trust and the British Museum. | Many other artists were also inspired to visit and to paint, and works by some of them are included, hanging alongside the ten Turners and two Girtins in this exhibition, with works from the Bowes' own collection, as well as loans from galleries including the Tate, the Ashmolean, the V&A, the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle, Manchester City Galleries, Leeds Art Gallery, the Wordsworth Trust and the British Museum. |
| Rokeby: Poetry & Landscape; Walter Scott & Turner in Teesdale is on at the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, from 26 January to 28 April. | Rokeby: Poetry & Landscape; Walter Scott & Turner in Teesdale is on at the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, from 26 January to 28 April. |
Alan Sykes is the Guardian Northerner's arts guru, and far from antique. He Tweets here. | Alan Sykes is the Guardian Northerner's arts guru, and far from antique. He Tweets here. |
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