In Turner's Footsteps [antikvár]

PREFACE The subject of this book grew out of my doctoral research on Turner and Yorkshire at the Courtauld Institute of Art, London. This has been supervised by Professor Michael Kitson, whose advice, encouragement and patience has been invaluable. There is, however, more than a hint of prodigality in the use to which this has been put, and the result is more clearly the product of the pursuit of pleasure than of discplined scholarly enquiry. Turner provided the excuse for a series of expeditions to the hills and dales of northern England to locate the sites of his sketches. These were begun in snow-covered Wharfedale in 1976 and continued through all weathers and seasons until the summer of 1983, when I managed to retrace the entire 1816 itinerary on the same days of the year as Turner, though mercifully in better conditions. There is, I would argue, some interest in all this pleasure. Pleasure was clearly one of the main reasons for Turner's tour in the first place. His sketches have a remarkable personality, and because of this quality give an insight into the nature of his response to particular places. This response is the mainspring of his imagination. Furthermore, since his landscape paintings are, on the whole, pictures of particular places, familiarity with the landscapes themselves leads us to a far greater understanding of the man and his work. This book would not have been possible vdthout the help and information that has been given to me so generously by others. I owe my first debt to Stanley Warburton, Chairman of the Northern Branch of the Turner Society, and co-author of the Turner in Yorkshire exhibition catalogue. His enthusiasm and knowledge of this subject has supported my research throughout, and his contribution to this study is greater than individual acknowledgements can make clear. Evelyn JoH of Thos. Agnew & Sons located most of the watercolours for me and put me in touch with their owners. Andrew Wilton, Keeper of the Turner Bequest at the British Museum, has willingly given his time and his extensive knowledge of the Turner Bequest to suggest many profitable lines of enquiry. My thanks are also due to the staff of the British Museum Print Room for their unfailing kindness and attention in making works fi:om the collection available for study. Others to whom a special debt of thanks is due include D.J.Butler, County Archivist of Durham; Alan E.Cole; Dr. J.A.Edwards of the University of Reading; Trevor Farrer Esq., of Whitbarrow Lodge; Robin Griffith-Jones of Christie's, Dr.John Gage; Edward Jones; James Miller of Sotheby's; Angus Taylor; Henry Wemyss of Sotheby's; Andrew White, Curator of Lancaster Museum; Dr. J.Selby Whittingham, Secretary of the Tumer Society; Brigadier Tryon-Wilson of Dallam Tower; E.H.Yardley; R.A.Yardley; and not least Peter and Ruth Annison of The Rope-Maker's at Hawes for making my stay in Wensleydale such a pleasant one. David Hill, 1984