Inspirations in Art

Claire Saul looks at two very different art exhibitions

- By Claire Saul

There are many reasons to visit the magnificent 17th century West Sussex mansion Petworth House, supreme among them is its extraordinary collection of art. Petworth's palatial state rooms offer a vast array of paintings and sculptures, including major works by Titian, van Dyck, Reynolds and Blake. And, notably, JMW Turner, one of the most influential and admired names in British art.

The relationship between Turner and the landscape which inspired him is being explored in Turner's Vision of Petworth, an exhibition by the National Trust which marks the 250th anniversary of his birth. Many of his paintings and sketches of the landscape at Petworth House and Park are featured, adding to what was already the largest display of the artist's work outside London. Along with rarely seen pieces, the exhibition includes oil paintings and works on paper, on loan from Tate and several private lenders. They provide a fascinating insight into Turner's artistic approach.

They also illustrate his relationship with Petworth and its owner George O'Brien Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont, a patron and collector of art and the man responsible for initiating what is now referred to as “the Golden Age of Petworth”. He opened Petworth and its art collections to several visiting artists. Turner was the most well-known, becoming a frequent visitor from 1827 until the earl's death in 1837. Wyndham acquired 20 paintings from Turner, all displayed in the house today, in addition to those in the exhibition. The first commission was Dewy Morning in 1809, which follows in the tradition of country house portraiture. It is contrasted with watercolours which are Turner's own personal experiments, mostly never intended to be shared or seen publicly. They illustrate how his thinking was influenced by his time at Petworth.