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View of Kenilworth Castle
Artwork Viewer
Not on view
Located in Warwickshire, England, Kenilworth castle was constructed in 1192 on a site surrounded on two sides by a created lake. The property was controlled by the monarchy for most of its history, and each successive royal owner added to its size and scope. Perhaps the most storied castle occupant was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I, Robert Dudley. As Earl of Leicester, he constructed a lavish interior and gardens for the Queen's four visits, the last in 1575. Their relationship and the untimely death of Dudley's neglected wife was romanticized in Sir Walter Scott's novel Kenilworth, published in 1821. The book attracted numerous artists to record it in picturesque views, including Joseph Mallord William Turner in 1830. In his watercolor, Turner bathed the imposing ruin in dramatic glowing light, a full moon rising on the horizon. The castle, no longer surrounded by water, rises above the early evening mist, almost as an apparition. As if to dispel any romantic interpretations, Turner settles the scene in reality with the foreground placement of a group of cows being tended by a local couple.
- Artist
- Joseph Mallord William Turner
- Title
- View of Kenilworth Castle
- Date
- ca. 1830
- Place of Creation
- England
- Object Type
- Drawing
- Medium
- Watercolor and opaque watercolor with scraping and wiping on paper
- Dimensions
- 11 1/2 x 17 7/8 in. (29.2 x 45.4 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Osgood Hooker
- Accession Number
- 1967.4
