The Red Rigi, William Turner from the old master collection

The Red Rigi, William Turner

The young J. M. W. Turner made his first visit to Switzerland in 1802. Over the following decade the alpine landscape provided the subject for many of his oil paintings and watercolours. An enduring affinity with the spectacular scenery of the Alps inspired his subsequent visits in the early 1840s. Turner’s late watercolours evoke the serenity and immensity of the Swiss landscape in some of the most compelling and radiant compositions of his career. One of Switzerland’s most famous mountains, the Rigi towers over the lake to the east of Lucerne. At a mere 1780 metres, it is not one of the loftiest peaks in the Swiss Alps, but the glorious uninterrupted views afforded by its isolated location and the beauty of the surrounding scenery have long attracted adventurous tourists.

Turner was captivated by the picturesque town of Lucerne and its lake. He visited the location each summer between 1841 and 1845, staying at the lakeside inn, La Cygne (The Swan). From his vantage point on the lake’s northern arm, Turner made numerous contemplative studies of the Rigi in pencil and watercolour. Sketching the mountain at different times of day, he captured dramatic and fleeting colour changes on its slopes, and recorded the altering moods of the scene under different light conditions.