Oak Knoll

First edition. Catalogue of an exhibition. This study of the manufacture, selection and use of the papers that Turner worked on during the first half of his career is an introduction to the depths of that knowledge and experience. It charts the constantly developing relationship between his often very imaginative techniques and the grounds he worked on. It documents his complex responses to the rapid changes and increasing sophistication of the design and production of papers for artists. The focus in this, the first volume, are the years 1787-1820. Late in his life, Turner, on being asked for his advice on painting, brought a lifetime of experience, years of both conscious and absorbed understanding to his deceptively simple reply. With one or two exceptions, there is very little direct evidence of Turner's actual thoughts or feelings about paper other than the papers themselves, where his actual use of individual papers is perhaps the most eloquent testimony we could have. The paper is never merely a ground to carry an image but is always an integral part of the work, from the slightest, speediest pencil sketch to the most highly finished watercolor. Turner's understanding of the interplay of a surface and the marks made on it is a crucial part of the actual visual effect of the work.