“Singular and Beautiful City”: Nineteenth Century English Travel Literature and Venice

Author

John Sheehan, Utah State UniversityFollow

Date of Award

5-2024

Degree Type

Creative Project

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

History

Committee Chair(s)

Tammy Proctor

Committee

Tammy Proctor

Committee

Susan Grayzel

Committee

Laura Gelfand

Abstract

Joseph Mallord William Turner was one of England’s most noteworthy artists in the early nineteenth century. Turner’s works, which included both domestic and foreign views, are known for expressing light and atmosphere in a unique way unlike other artists of the time. Turner took liberties with the topographic arrangements of the cities and landscapes that he painted, which again differed from many of the artists who preceded him. His foreign works were especially well received by critics and buyers alike in England. In 1815, many English artists including Turner set out for the newly reopened continent, with the intent of sketching and painting great cities and scenes of Europe that had been out of the English public's reach since the end of the eighteenth century. Turner himself did not travel to the European continent until 1819, but his ambition to visit and paint on the Italian peninsula, especially Rome, excited his employers.¹ One such employer, James Hakewill, author of A Picturesque Tour of Italy, especially wanted Turner to explore and sketch the city of Venice for his upcoming work

Recommended Citation

Sheehan, John, "“Singular and Beautiful City”: Nineteenth Century English Travel Literature and Venice" (2024). All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present. 29.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports2023/29