Embargo: Immediate Release

Contact: John Harrison 0207 273 1402 john.harrison@mla.gov.uk

Turner painting of castle comes home to the Isle of Wight

A watercolour painting by one of Britain’s best-loved artists has returned to the location where it was originally painted.

A View of Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight, by JMW Turner, has been saved for the nation and given to Carisbrooke Castle Museum through the Acceptance in Lieu scheme.

The painting was part of Turner’s series of ninety-six watercolours of “Picturesque Views in England and Wales”, published between 1827 and 1838. It demonstrates the artist’s mastery of the effects of light, with a diagonal shaft of sunlight breaking through stormy clouds beyond the castle’s imposing entrance.

Carisbrooke Castle Museum’s collection contains objects related to the history of the castle, as well as the island’s history in general. This is the first work by Turner to enter the museum, and indeed any public collection on the island.

The Acceptance in Lieu scheme, administered by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), on behalf of the government, allows objects deemed to be national treasures to be given to the nation in place of inheritance tax.  They are then allocated to public institutions throughout the UK.

The painting was officially handed over in a ceremony on this week (Tuesday 8 April), by Major General Martin White CB CBE JP, Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant for the Isle of Wight, to the Carisbrooke Castle Museum Trust.
       
Dr Mike Bishop, Curator of Carisbrooke Castle Museum, said: “It has been a real privilege to have had a role in securing this painting for the museum collection, and I am delighted that important works such as this are being allocated to provincial museums and galleries by the government. For this museum, one could hardly wish for a more fitting subject out of all of Turner’s many works.”

MLA Chief Executive Roy Clare said:  “It is very rewarding that we have been able to ensure that this fine painting can be enjoyed by the public in the most fitting setting.”

Notes to Editors

1. “Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight” by JMW Turner, watercolour, 29.2 x 41.2 cm, was painted shortly after Turner’s visit to the Isle of Wight in 1827, from sketches made during the visit. It is one of a series of 96 watercolours of “Picturesque Views of England and Wales” which was published between 1827 and 1838. The series is Turner’s most ambitious watercolour project, and has been described as the central document of his working life. An image of the painting is available on request.