Turner, J. M. W. (Joseph Mallord William), 1775-1851

Abstract: The collection primarily consists of an album filled with drawings, prints, ephemera, and manuscript poems, letters, dedicatory inscriptions, and notes collected or created by John Charles Denham. The album contains 107 small drawings and sketches in graphite, ink, and watercolor by prominent British artists from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries such as Richard Parkes Bonington, John Flaxman, Sir Thomas Lawrence, Paul Sandby, J. M. W. Turner, and Benjamin West, as well as...

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Ruskin advises Heaton on the market for drawings by J.M.W. Turner, recommending "the Walls of Rome or Parnassus as the sweetest drawings."

Scope and Contents: Ruskin notifies Heaton that he has acquired (for Heaton) Turner's Berne and his Waterloo, for 50 guineas each. "I think you will like better to look at the sweet river and the cloudy Alps than at the dead bodies of soldiers in the firelight." He conjectures that the Parnassus or Walls of Rome might be had for a similar price. Mentions Ruskin's Examples of...

Scope and Contents: Ruskin has acquired Turner's Walls of Rome for Heaton, having "no hesitation in ranking this as among the nine or ten best vignettes which Turner ever executed." Ruskin comments on the qualities of the Walls of Rome and of the Berne. He recommends at once "to have these two vignettes framed so as not to touch the glass -- and pasted in at back to keep out Leeds smoke. The least yellowing in the...

Scope and Contents: Ruskin writes that he cannot advise Heaton on matters of framing, as he has "never yet framed a picture to [his] liking." He offers further praise of Turner's Walls of Rome. He advises against the purchase of his "Venice folios." He concludes: "I am sorry to say I mean't & mean what I say of art to separate it from other pursuits. Music helps religious feelings in thousands. Politics ... are a part of Religion. Pictorial art is too...

Scope and Contents: Ruskin expresses his sympathy for Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who is ill. Ruskin informs Heaton he will send her photographs which are to be copied in sepia, chalk or pencil "as if they were nature itself." Ruskin argues, against the "Masters", that this practice "will do more for a pupil than a years common teaching." Ruskin praises Turner's use of space and drawing of form, praising Walls of Rome as a better work than his ...

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Ruskin remarks that it is necessary to devote time to art appreciation, noting that Heaton initially liked the sky of Turner's Berne which Ruskin states is "exactly the worst part of the drawing." Ruskin declares Caius Cestius "the finer vignette." Ruskin refers to "Mr Durham" (Joseph Durham, who sculpted a portrait bust of Heaton) but confesses that he doesn't "much care about sculpture."

Scope and Contents: Ruskin is writing from his bed. He advises Heaton to acquire a Turner, remarking that Turner's Parnassus and Castle St Angelo is better than his Berne, with the Parnassus the "finest." Ruskin advises Heaton to protect the Parnassus from light. He suggests she commissions work from both John William Inchbold and Arthur Hughes. He admits he has not...

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Ruskin expresses his distaste that David Thomas White (art dealer) has offered Turner's Parnassus to Heaton for a price higher than the 50 guineas he offered to Ruskin. Ruskin tells Heaton to mention to White that she knows that White gave Ruskin a better price because "he will come down immediately." Ruskin says that White showed him Richmond's Alborough but that he doesn't care for it. [Date provided by Surtees: May 1855]

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Ruskin advises Heaton to give White £5 for Turner's Castle St Angelo or offer White both her vignettes and £60 for larger drawings (he recommends either Turner's Salisbury or Ingleborough). If Heaton wants to keep her vignettes, Ruskin suggests that she "try to get the Parnassus with your other two - say 55 for it - but not more.". [Date provided by Surtees: May 1855]

Scope and Contents: Ruskin advises Heaton that if she can get Turner's Berne for £40, she should. He asks her for the £5 she promised to the Arundel Society but says that if this will make it difficult for her to buy the Berne, Ruskin will pay the £5 and Heaton can reimburse him later. He says that he is glad that she bought Turner's Parnassus which he praises liberally. Ruskin states he has nearly recovered from his illness and...

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"There is no other vignette comparable to those you have -- the Pisa & Bacharach are both inferior -- Keep what you have, & be proud and thankful. Many thanks & sincere ones for help with Arundel." [Date provided by Surtees: ? Early June 1885]

Scope and Contents: Ruskin tells Heaton that if he sends her any Rossetti works they must not be described as belonging to him. Ruskin explains he has not been able to answer her letters as he is still unwell. Ruskin informs Heaton he managed to purchase for her two prints from Turner's Liber Studiorium compositions, although he states that these are not "good" and that he will also send her another two, which are. Ruskin approves of Heaton's plans for a Rossetti exhibition...

Scope and Contents: Ruskin tells Heaton he has sent her the Rossetti works which he suggests she look at extensively but that she should "keep them locked up -- lest the one should be laughed at for its errors." He remarks that Rossetti's Francesca di Rimini is a "bold -- but perfectly true reading of Dante.". He tells Heaton that he is going to make Rossetti redo Guinevere & Lancelot "without mistakes" and that he will keep...

Scope and Contents: Ruskin tells Heaton he will send her requested photographs alongside the bill for them. He remarks that Rossetti's Rachel shows the dangers of commissioning specific scenes for the artist as "he never would fail in a subject of his own choice.". He thinks that Rachel's face is very beautiful and is "spoiled only by [sic] small underlip." He tells Heaton that it is a portrait of Elizabeth Siddall. He praises the work's use of colour. Ruskin asks...

Scope and Contents: Ruskin admits that he had not written about Heaton's latest commission for Rossetti as he assumed she would know he was pleased by it. He tells Heaton to keep both Rossettis as long as she likes. He tells her to send him the money for Rossetti's Rachel which will allow him to buy Rossetti's Francesca. Ruskin admits that Rossetti had offered to sell him the Francesca at a lower price but Ruskin insisted that he...

Scope and Contents: Ruskin asks Heaton if she could arrange for a photographer to go to Bolton and take a photograph of the scene depicted in Turner's Bolton Abbey, and to collect bits of rock from the area. Ruskin praises both Arthur Hughes's painting and Robert Browning's recently published poem "An Epistle Containing the Strange Medical Experience of Karshish the Arab Physician", expressing his surprise that he should agree with the Athenaeum's...

Scope and Contents: Ruskin asks Heaton to inform him if she receives his letter as he wants to be sure she will not allow "the pictures" to be seen. Ruskin makes arrangements to have the Rossetti works recently purchased by Heaton displayed for exhibition, explaining all correspondence relating to the matter should be address to Rossetti. Ruskin tells Heaton that he has recently recovered from a two-week bout of illness which has thrown him "much into arrear.". In a postscript, Ruskin...

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Ruskin tells Heaton that Rossetti has received both of the works she sent for the exhibition. Ruskin reiterates that all correspondence relating to the exhibition should be addressed to Rossetti. Ruskin asks Heaton how much she would be willing to pay for a work by Turner, telling her it is likely to be between £180 to £200 and enquires whether he should secure a good work by Turner as soon as he finds one. [Date provided by Surtees: Early March 1856]

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Memorandum detailing Ruskin's debt to Heaton for items such as the Bolton Abbey photographs and Heaton's debt to Ruskin for her photographs and pieces from Turner's Liber Studiorum. [Date provided by Surtees: May 1856]