A Precious Legacy

The Scottish National Gallery’s Turner collection came with a rather strange request...

WHEN Henry Vaughan left a collection of JMW Turner’s watercolours to the Scottish National Gallery nearly 120 years ago, he attached a strict condition – the paintings were to be kept in a cabinet except for one month of the year. Every January, with the light at its weakest, they were all to be exhibited to the public, free of charge.

The art collector’s bequest of 38 carefully selected works means that every year since 1900, the gallery has welcomed in the new year with Turner in January.

It’s become a tradition in Edinburgh; the watercolours are shown alongside other acquisitions from the National Galleries of Scotland’s collections. This year curators will also show Turner’s painting of the Bell Rock lighthouse, commissioned by Robert Stevenson 100 years ago.

Vaughan had selected the gifted watercolours from throughout Turner’s career, and also highlighted the painter’s work in Scotland. Charlotte Topsfield, senior curator of prints and drawings at the National Galleries of Scotland, explains the collector’s decision.

“Vaughan would have been aware of Turner’s longstanding relationship with Scotland, that he’d visited on six occasions and drawn great inspiration from the Scottish landscape,” she says. “Vaughan was very aware that in those days there were almost no Turners in public collections. He wanted to give something to Scotland.”

Turner first visited the Borders in 1797, returning for a two-month tour four years later.

“In 1801 he came up the east coast to Edinburgh, over to Glasgow, Inveraray and Loch Fyne and then up to the Highlands to Tummel Bridge, Blair Atholl and Perthshire,” Charlotte says. “He came back down via the Falls of Clyde and Lanarkshire. Several sketchbooks survive from that journey, so we have a good idea of his itinerary.”

Turner returned in 1818, when he became involved in a project illustrating work for Sir Walter Scott. In 1831 he stayed with Scott at Abbotsford before visiting islands including Skye, Mull and Staffa for preparatory work.

“Initially their relationship was somewhat fractious, mainly due to business negotiations,” Charlotte says. “Turner was a tougher negotiator than Scott was expecting and exacted higher payment. Turner was well aware that his name and his illustrations could make a huge difference to the success of a publication.

“By 1831 their relationship had mellowed somewhat into respect, possibly even friendship. Three watercolours