"Turner was only 20 in 1795 when he first visited Salisbury. This book focuses on the important commissions that resulted from his contact with the region, which provided the foundations for his success. Reunited here are his inventive watercolours of Salisbury Cathedral painted for Sir Richard Colt Hoare, widely dispersed since 1883. Turner's matchless ability to depict architecture also attracted the attention of the eccentric art lover and writer, William Beckford. The problematic construction of Beckford's legendary but short-lived neo-gothic abbey at Fonthill was uniquely recorded in Turner's sketches and watercolours. As his career developed, Turner repeatedly revisited an area that captivated him. His depictions of Stonehenge, in particular, proved to be among his most hauntingly atmospheric works. In this beautifully illustrated book many rarely seen works are brought together, illuminating this formative and fascinating period in Turner's output."--Front flap of cover.
Architecture and ambition: the rising star -- Sir Richard Colt Hoare and Stourhead -- The Salisbury Commission: 'Poems in stone' -- William Beckford and the rise - and falls - of Fonthill Abbey -- Westward ho! Turner and the picturesque coast of southern England -- Stonehenge and history -- Castles old and new: the Isle of Wight -- Appendix -- Notes -- Selected bibliography -- List of works in the exhibition.