View of Genoa, Italy

This is one of a group of works in bodycolour on blue paper, close in style and handling to Genoa: A view looking down over the Harbour (private collection; see J.R. Goldyne, J.M.W. Turner: Works on Paper from American Collections, exhibition catalogue, Berkeley, University Art Museum, 1979, pp. 108-9, illustrated; and A. Wilton, The Life and Work of J.M.W. Turner, Fribourg and London, 1979, p. 420, no. 1016, illustrated), Genoa (private collection; see Wilton, loc.cit., no. 1017, illustrated) and Genoa (Tate Gallery, Turner Bequest CCLIX - 212). They are usually dated to about 1828, the year of three sketchbooks containing views of Genoa used on Turner's way out to Rome in the late summer and early autumn of that year (Turner Bequest CCXXXI, CCXXXII and CCXXXIII). However, Ian Warrell has suggested a date of circa 1836-8, which is much more likely for reasons of style and also fits in with the probability that Turner revisited Genoa in one of these years, a visit resulting in a number of further drawings in the 'Genoa to Grenoble' Sketchbook (Turner Bequest CCXCV, dated to 1835-40 by A.J. Finberg, A Complete Inventory of the Turner Bequest, 1909, vol. II, p. 952).

Turner had already painted a vignette watercolour, engraved by E. Finden, 1833, for Lord Byron's Life and Works (private collection; see Wilton, op.cit., p. 447, no. 1231; and J. Piggott, Turner's Vignettes, exhibition catalogue, London, Tate Gallery, 1993, p. 99, no. 71, the engraving illustrated p. 108). He also painted a very late watercolour of circa 1850-1 looking out over the harbour (Manchester, City Art Gallery; see Wilton, op.cit., p. 488, no. 1569, illustrated pl. 259; and Turner at Manchester: Catalogue Raisonn, Collections of the City Art Gallery, 1982, p. 56, illustrated).