Friday, October 15, 2021

Turner's Small Watercolor Kits




J.M.W. Turner's super-portable watercolor set consisted of a small set of cake colors in a leather pocket pouch.

He also had slightly larger sets with flasks. This is his paintbox, found in his studio after his death in 1851

(Tate Archive 7315.6)

To learn more about 19th century watercolor sets, check out the website whimsie.com or the Tate Archive

5 comments:

  1. I just purchased a couple of books on Turner's sketches. I just really enjoy learning about the guy and his stunning work.

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  2. Are the cakes just stuck on to the leather? It doesn't look like they are in pans. Do they know what colors they consisted of?

    How cool.

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  3. This is fantastic! I found that image of the leather travel palette a few years ago when I was researching 1850's watercolor travel kit for my interpretation at a local living history Fort!

    I briefly corresponded with a guy who knew a guy who had seen it in person and drawn up a pattern. I was going to make it but never got around to it.

    I had a tin palette made in the 1850's style and gathered a fairly convincing kit. Enough so that the curator approved my interpretation. Cathy Johnson's book was an immense help.

    https://redharparts.wordpress.com/2015/06/10/fort-kit-finished/

    Kate B.
    @redharparts

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  4. I couldn't find anything on the Tate's website or the other link. Do we know if Turner had some kind of travel brush to go with his leather paint wallet?

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  5. Cody, I don't have the link(s) now, but what I've seen on-line in mid-19th century watercolor boxes are full length brushes as I have in my kit. Not a travel brush as we would think of them...in two parts where the brush can be placed inside the barrel.

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