turner norham castle

Question 1

date

Answer 1

1845

Question 2

techniques

Answer 2

-castle silhouette brought in by conte jour effect

-impasto gives prominence to sunlights

-scumbling

-free application of paint

• painted in studio as difficult to paint en plein air
• worked fast and allowed paint to soak in rapidly by using absorbant grounds

Question 3

use of conte jour

Answer 3

castle silhouette brought in by conte jour effect

Question 4

techniques for texture

Answer 4

scumbling

impasto (especially on sun)

Question 5

application of paint

Answer 5

free

Question 6

where was it painted

Answer 6

in studio not en plein air

Question 7

how old was turner when he first saw norham castle AND how many times did he see it

Answer 7

first saw when he was 22 and it became his fav subject (painted numerous times)

he visited the castle multiple times – 1797 (when he was aged 22), 1801 and 1831 - this is his last painting of it

Question 8

when did turner say

Answer 8

‘sun is god’

Question 9

use of colour

Answer 9

yellow of sun contrasts with the indigo of castle (complimentary colours)

pale light and smokey blue adds atmosphere

use of plus colours assossiantion with happiness and warmth

warmer colours pushed forwards infront of cool tones of the castle showing dominance of nature

Question 10

what colour theory does he use

Answer 10

cites Goethe’s colour theory using ‘plus’ colours (yellows, reds) to associate warmth and happiness. ‘Minus’ colours (blues) to convey gloomy and melancholy emotions.

Question 11

effect of warmer colours being pushed forwards

Answer 11

shows dominance of sun (nature) over man

Question 12

composition

Answer 12

symmetrical (mass of castle in the middle and river banks of each side)

tripartate composition (sky water and castle in division)

foreground=viewer brought into the scene by the linear perspective created by the banks

midground= cow

background= castle

Question 13

how is aerial perspective created

Answer 13

*The pale light and smoky, spectral blue stronghold create aerial perspective, creating an atmospheric landscape

Question 14

focus on light and atmosphere

Answer 14

*Earth, water and sky merge with not much attention being placed on line, but greater interest on forms being dissolved in light and atmosphere.

shows priority of emotional response

Question 15

location

Answer 15

norham castle, a view of river tweed near border of scotland in the mornimg light

Question 16

norham castle history

Answer 16

built in 12th century by the Bishop of Durham to suppress the Scots and was ruined in 1513 by cannon fire during the Civil War.

(shows impermenance of man compared to nature)

Question 17

how is norham castle classified as a pastoral subject

Answer 17

cows drink out of water showing response to real world not abstraction

Question 18

the sun

Answer 18

the sun dominates the scene reflecting his thoughts that ‘sun is god’

warmer colours of sun push forward showing sublime quality and dominance of nature over man

Question 19

how does it represent transcience if time

Answer 19

-domination of the sun vs cruumbling man made structure

transcience of life shown through fleeting life of a cow in comparison to historic castle

permenance of cliff and dominating sun shows eternity of nature

Question 20

how is the castle presented

Answer 20

*The tower of the castle is lost to view here and there is minimised indication of the architectural structure.

*Emphasises man’s transience, indicated through the crumbling architecture

castle sillouhette brought out through conte joure

misty blue

Question 21

is it realistic

Answer 21

no, its an impression of the scene based upon an emotional response.

reflective tone created, can be seen to represent the Sublime and shows how natural forces can profoundly move the viewer (focus’s on the emotions the sublime quality of nature can makes us feel)

Question 22

effect of impasto

Answer 22

*Areas of impasto, particularly the yellow, give prominence to the sun and sunlight, highlighting nature’s sublime quality over man

Question 23

techniques

Answer 23

-impasto

-scumbling

-often through use of pallette knife

-Light-over-dark and dark-over-light transluscent scumbles and transparent glazes occur

-free application of pigment

Question 24

how did he work fast and how was it aided

Answer 24

• He worked fast, and liked an absorbent ground that allowed the paint to soak in quickly. The canvases were supplied primed with white absorbent grounds which allowed wet paint to dry rapidly allowing Turner to paint with full creative flow.

Question 25

whats the modern touch

Answer 25

Turner’s palette incorporated newly invented pigments as soon as he could get hold of them. Amongst other new colours, a whole range of yellows were now available through the isolation of the metal chromium. The ethereal patches of pure colour are a very modern touch

Question 26

what group of paintings does this work belong to

Answer 26

*This belongs to a group of late paintings, roughly similar in size, style, colouring and degree of finish, and based largely on compositions used much earlier by Turner for the Liber Studiorum (a book of landscape etchings made by Turner earlier in the century)

Question 27

what movement was turner a part of and how was it relevant

Answer 27

Turner was part of the Romantic Movement, which sought to represent humankind’s place within nature, and was heavily linked with the idea of the ‘Sublime’ frequently depicted sublime in his later works through images of hatural disaster

Question 28

how may this be influenced by scientific theory

Answer 28

Turner attended lectures and was acquainted with scientists such as Faraday and Somerville. It is, therefore, possible that he was influenced by the new scientific theories about the sun when he tried to depict it. It is possible he was influenced scientific theories expounded by the astronomer Sir William Herschel regarding the pockmarked surface of the sun, resulting in his use of impasto here.

Question 29

turners religious worship of the sun

Answer 29

-Turner was a pessimist and was said to have no religion – as confirmed by Ruskin. -became almost religiouly obsessed with the sun, 'sun is god' -said in the weeks prior to his death to ruskin 'the sun is god'

Question 30

why not painted en plein air

Answer 30

*Painted in the studio, based on drawings in his sketchbooks and previous watercolours *It was difficult to paint outdoors due to lack of lightweight equipment and Turner’s paintings would take hours of work.

Question 31

how did constable describe turner's works

Answer 31

‘painted with tinted steam.’ -John constable

Question 32

how does it appear unfinished

Answer 32

Unfinished? The painting seems to be in the state in which Turner took such unfinished works into the Royal Academy before completing them on varnishing days. Turner may have painted this series as a trial run to see if such ‘sketchy’ pictures were marketable

Question 33

reception

Answer 33

-got the attention it deserved only after Turner's death, as it was not released to the public while the artist was still living. -The painting was bequeathed to the Nation at his death, and was rescued from the basement of the National Gallery cellars in 1905 – the trustees had considered it an unfinished oil sketch. -became the poster girl for tate britain

Question 34

critical quote on the positive perception of norham castle despite its seemingly unfinished states

Answer 34

observers were now educated enough to... "appreciate what are called impressionist pictures." -Sir Charles Holroyd, the Keeper of the Tate