An Artist's Eye for Detail

Andrea here, musing today about art. Yes, I do that a lot, as it’s something near and dear to my heart. In case, my thoughts have to do with research and how art can be an unexpected source of wonderful details for an author of historical novels.

I recently had the opportunity to attend a special exhibition JMW Turner watercolors in the Study Room of the Yale British Art Center. They have an amazing collection in their archives, and many are rarely shown in public. What made the experience truly amazing what that they up the painting on display tables and placed a magnifying glass by each one. We were all allowed to get “up close and personal” with the art!

Turner was constantly sketching throughout his life. The watercolors on display were from his everyday work—not grander, more famous art. They show an artist who was looking around at the everyday rhythms of life and recording them as “exercises” to keep his eyes and his hands in practice.


I found myself really focusing on small delightful details of his sketches, and realizing what a wealth of information they provided about how countryside and people of Regency England looked. For example, take the hunting scene above. It show a stone ruin that has cottages or barns built to take advantage of the existing walls. It’s an image that I can use at some point in a novel.

Then I looked even more carefully at the hunter on his horse. What he’s wearing and the firearm he is carrying offers yet more wonderful visual information. Given the length of the weapon and the shape of the stock, it appears to be a rifle. Good to know for setting scenes at a country house party. And I love seeing his hounds! More excellent references for creating an accurate picture of gentry life.


Another wonderful example is the scene of a factory town. The panorama allowed me to see how the new industry (mills, foundaries, etc.) fit into the old fabric of the town. Getting up close, I was able to study what the people were wearing, and what they were doing. Several men appear to be folding cloth that has been drying on a wood frame. Another is riding a donkey. It’s fascinating to see how the goods are strapped on the animal. The range of color and patterns of the clothing is also interesting to observe.

I found the scene of what looks to be a gate leading into a section of a large town really interesting, too. Seeing the scene from Turner’s perspective gives such an intimate look at what an ordinary day looked like. I’ve also in included a snippet of a carter. Look at his smock and footwear, and what his vehicle actually looks like.

Turner also journeyed through Europe recording what he saw. I love this scene of the Alps and the goatherd with his animals. (See the very first image.) One can almost feel the wind blowing through the rocks and the trees! Another random snippet shows a harbor detail of travelers being ferried out to a coastal packet boat that will sail them to their destinations. Again, just seeing the grouping of ordinary people and their belongings is really fun.

So what about you? Do you enjoy looking at paintings from the past? And you you find yourself looking at the tiny details that tell you about the era?

Comments

[Christina Courtenay]

What a wonderful opportunity to study Turner's paintings, Andrea! He was an incredible artist and the amount of detail is staggering. So useful for an author.

I love going to art galleries and, like you, love looking at tiny details. My favourite thing is fabric though - I am always amazed when an artist manages to capture the exact texture of material in clothing when it drapes around the subject of the painting. Sometimes you feel as though you can actually feel the softness!

[Mary Jo Putney]

Wonderful to have such amazing art work waiting for your writer's eye, Andrea! I've always loved Turner's work but never seen sketches like this. Thanks for bringing his work to us.

[Alison Y]

I love this post. I'm not a writer, but I love looking at the detail in pictures. I got into the habit of doing so from a program that The National Gallery of Art in DC has. It is called, "The Art of Looking". It originally was held in the gallery, but when Covid came they moved it to an on-line program. Over the hour, we look at one picture in detail. The advantage of on-line is the educator will zoom in to show the details, which we can then discuss. Seeing pictures this way is helpful when the picture is very large and also, you are not suppose to stand too close to the paintings in the galleries. Plus, we get to see pictures that are not on display. There are so many amazing things to be found in the artwork that would otherwise be missed when seeing it from "afar".

[Lil Marek]

It's fascinating to see what the world looked like to someone at the time. All those late Victorian "historical" paintings are very pretty and make lovely book covers, but they are really romanticized.

[Kareni]

Thank you for an enlightening post, Andrea. I am amazed at the detail Turner captured in what you described as his everyday work; it's impressive!

[Andrea Penrose]

Thanks, Christina.

I'm not quite as tuned into fabrics as you are, but I do notice the textures and weights of clothing in paintings. Some artists just really capture that and make t come alive. It reall heps to "feel" what our characters felt when wearing certain clothing.

Isn't research fun!

[Andrea Penrose]

Thanks, Mary Jo! Turner's everyday sketches are such a revelation. It's such a privilege to be able to see them—and so intimately!

[Andrea Penrose]

SO glad you enjoyed this, Alison. Your program at the National Gallery sounds wonderful! I just love studying details. The online class certainly has an advantage in being able to really magnify a small area. It's just amazing to me how beautifully some artists can depict the tiny things.

[Andrea Penrose]

Exactly,Lil! The beauty of the Turner sketches is that he was wandering the country drawing what he saw. So this is an amazing record of what things really looked like!

[Andrea Penrose]

Turner is absolutely amazing. I've seen an exhibit of his sketches of harbors in France and England, and they are breathtaking in the tiny details of sailors at work, fishermen bringing in their catch, etc. One can look at a painting and understand the whole the rhythm of the town.

I love his work!

[Patricia Franzino]

I love paintings that depict scenes from the past to see the way people survived.

Turner is astounding in his detail to pull the viewer right into the scene.

[Annette N]

I admire paintings of nearly any era. I appreciate the fact that someone put their passion and heart into expressing what they saw.
I am a fan of Turner's. I think his paintings tell stories to anyone who takes the time to really see them. He is showing us what he saw rather than writing the description. But, it is just as intense and true.
Thanks so much for this post and the pictures. You drew me right into everything.

[Jeanne Behnke]

Boy, these sketches are great & so detailed. Yes, I love looking at pictures of the past & imagining.

[Teresa Broderick]

I love looking at paintings from the past. Especially landscapes or buildings. I'm not so keen on ones with people in them. Weird I know but my family say I'm odd anyway.
Turner's works are wonderful but my absolute favourite painting is Monarch of the Glen by Landseer. I have a poster of it on my den wall. The stag is majestic, standing there in all his glory. Every time I look at it my heart swells.
Lovely post Andrea.

[Peg S.]

There's a movie that came out in 2014 called Mr. Turner. It features the last 25 years of Turner's life. He is certainly portrayed as an unpleasant character. Timothy Spall (a villain in the Harry Potter films) plays Turner.

I was interested to hear about his sketches, since I'm most familiar with his oil paintings and the wonderful atmospheric effects of clouds, mist, smoke, and fog.

[Karin]

I do love painting that are full of people, but not posed groups. There is so much detail in Breughel's paintings of medieval peasants going about their business. Turner is more known for his landscapes and seascapes, but I see he has a great touch with capturing everyday people too.

[Mary M.]

I. love. this. post. Thank you so much, Andrea!