Watercolour of Salisbury Cathedral, South view from the Cloisters, by J. M. W. Turner. Great Britain, 1802.

Sir Richard Colt Hoare, a distinguished historian of Wiltshire and member of a prominent English family with a great tradition of art collecting, bought Turner's watercolours at the Royal Academy in the 1790s, and commissioned him to paint a series of views in and around Salisbury, near his estate at Stourhead. This powerful view shows the impressive spire through one of the ruined arches of the cloister. A 'Picturesque' touch is given by the young boy with his hoop and basket. Given Hoare's keen interest in archaeology and antiquarianism, it is clear that the prime intention of the work was to give a detailed and accurate delineation of the architecture, but Turner's brush and colours also convey the subtle and gentle play of warm, probably early morning, light across the stones and carvings. It is also an excellent example of the range of chiaroscuro that Turner could achieve in the medium, from blazing sunlight to deepest shadow.

Turner executed in 1796-7 a set of drawings of Salisbury Cathedral to illustrate a book on Wiltshire by Sir Richard Colt Hoare, but the book never appeared. 502 and 503-1883 belonged to the set. The museum also has photographs of six others.
Both drawings were formerly the property of Sir Henry Hoare, Bart.

Sir Richard Colt Hoare was a patron and amateur artist. He commissioned Turner to make 20 realistic and accurate views of Salisbury, England. These types of painted records are known as topographical paintings.
Turner had trained as a topographical artist. However, he always found a view that was unconventional by the standards of the day, such as in this watercolour, painted in 1802. Here he has introduced some human interest to liven up an otherwise straightforward study of Salisbury Cathedral. A young boy has been playing with his toy hoop along the open passages of the cloister. He was probably on his way home from the market with a basket of produce.

502-1883