The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-03-06
THE WORKS OFTURNER.
A GREAT REQUEST TO ENGLAND FROM
HER MOST PROLIFIC ARTIST.
Correspondence of Cincinnati Commercial.

Carlyle there is house which has
on it a peculiar top-one with bal
cony surrounded by an iron railing.
1t was there that the great artist
Turner lived under one of his two
names, and on that ballustraded
housetop, prepared there by his own
order, he used to stand for many,
many hours, while the throng toiled
on beneath, or while they slept.
His other house was in Queen AIMS
street, three or four miles away at
the north of Hyde Park; but in
this latter abode he passed his time
only when he would appear to the
world as Mr.. Turner.
When he died, as is known, he
left the great mass of his works as
a bequest to } the nation, Among
the works left, there was one collec-
ton not registered in the bequest,
which, when opened by Mr.. Ruskin
and Mr.. Relph Wornum, Secretary
to the National Museum, were found
to contain sketches from nature of
a kind SO unavailable for popular In
spection that they threw them into
the fire, thing for which they
have been severely censured, and,
by some artists, never forgiven.
No one. I believe, except Ruskin
and Wornum ever saw the pictures
which they decided should be forever
invisible. But the number of pict-
ures and sketches which Turner
left to the notion almost beggars be-
lief.
The visitor to the National Gal
lery will find three of the largest
rooms chiefly devoted to them, and
more than two at the South Ken
sington Museum. But besides
these there are three Turner gal
leries floating about sfhe country at
this moment-one in Dublin, anoth-
er in Manchester, third in Edin-
burg--where they may be seen by
the people, and studied or copied
by artists. But lately, wishing to
investigate those Turner treasures
which are not hung, [ obtained the
necessary orders and was taken ssinto
the crypt Of the National Gallery
and there placed at table. [ was
then asked which of Turner'S pict-
ures and sketches / desired to see.
[ innocently replied "All," The
very gentlemanIy Curator then ask
ed me how many days | had to de-
vote to them. Days? He then
pointed me to mahogany presses
completely surrounding the room,
and said: "Ah these are filed with
the works of Turner The next
day Mr.. Ornum informed me that
the nation owned in all about nine
teen thousand works by Turner!
When it is considered that there
are works by the same artist of GER
tain genuincness held in private
hands to the number of several thou
sand, one may conclude that Turner
has left valuable work for every
day Of his 76 years of life. The
son of poor hairdresser Of Maiden
lane, who Stunned society, SO that
the only real likeness Of him was
made by stealth with a bit of cut
paper, who died under social ban
administered to by woman he loved,
but whom never he married, )had an
assumed name in a poor lodging,
may be said to have been the most
prolific genius the world ever pro-
duced.
Turner was buried by the side of
Sir Joshua Reynolds in the crypt of
st Paul's His large fortune, doth
in pictures and property, he bequeath-
ed to his Countrywide finished
pictures to the nation-on condition
that the Government should prove
them suitable accommodation in 10
years, and the founded proerty toward
the establishment of an institution
for decayed artists The will was
disputed, but by compromise the
Court of Chancery ordered 1855
that all pictures, drawings sketches
finished or unfinished by the hands
of Turner should belong to the nation
and the engraving to the next kin.