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Art

A Personal Account: Six Degrees of Separation & J.M.W Turner’s Use of Colour

A Personal Account: Six Degrees of Separation & J.M.W Turner’s Use of Colour

This month the ArtSmart Roundtable has chosen to focus on colour. A painter that first comes to mind is J.M.W. Turner and it being Guy Fawkes Day I have one doozy of a Six Degrees of Separation for you. While this post isn’t solely on colour you can read my colleagues’ posts that are a bit more on point. Their post links can be found at the end of this blog post.

I remember the first time I saw a painting by J.M.W. Turner. It was in my first university art history class upon a projector hanging over the theatrical stage used for plays. There were 100 of us at first all sitting in the red theatre seats awaiting to decide wether we’d drop the course based on the page requirements of our final essay. If it were anything over 10 pages more than 1/3 of the students wouldn’t return the next week. 

The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons by J.M.W. Turner      Photo Credit: en.Wikipedia.org
The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons by J.M.W. Turner Photo Credit: en.Wikipedia.org

My professor, hidden in the darkness on the left hand side of the stage, introduced us to a broad range of artistic genres and movements within 90 minutes. One of which was Romanticism. A convergence of colour then popped onto the screen. At first hard to visualize the larger representation, I found myself drawn to the illuminating golds of the flames, the dank browns of the dark waters, and the mystery of the depicted subject. I knew I liked loved it. Then you read his titles which are poetic and reveal the sublime horror of what you are looking at despite being so bewitching and at times angelic.
It really was love at first sight. I was in love J.M.W. Turner’s use of colour, movement and his variety of subjects: morbid moments in history, nature dominating ancient ruins, and spectacular landscapes around Europe.
I even developed a bit of a crush on his self-portrait as well. 
And when I develop a crush I’m in deep.

Self-Portrait by J.M.W.Turner    Photo Credit: commons.wikimedia.org
Self-Portrait by J.M.W.Turner Photo Credit: commons.wikimedia.org

Then during my final year of art history I ventured to take a Directed Studies course which required me to choose my own topic of research. Little did I know that my topic of choice, Colonel Lionel Grimston Fawkes and his work within the Caribbean and Canada would lead me to a family connection with J.M.W. Turner.

I should begin by explaining who Col. Fawkes was. Aside from being a reluctant relative of Guy Fawkes he was also an artist.  I came upon his work in a short memoir written by my great uncle Jack Borradaile. There had been a rumour told to me by my grandma that her eccentric uncle was a writer and had published a book. This intrigued me because I was studying creative writing alongside art history and could smell a story in the works. 
A Google search led me to find a rare book called “The Lady of Culzean” written by John (aka Jack) Borradaile. I immediately purchased the book for $45 Canadian. 

Lady of Culzean by John Borradaile

The book is short and left me with more questions than answers. It is a written account of his time living with Lady Constance Fawkes and her husband Col. L.G. Fawkes on Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada. They had moved there from England after a tragedy in their immediate family and took solace on this small island shared with very few inhabitants in the 1925. Uncle Jack, looking for work after failing at the family tradition of taking to sea due his sea sickness, became manager of their fixer-upper-mansion-hotel they named Culzean (now demolished) after the Scottish Culzean Castle Lady Constance grew up in.

Culzean Castle by Col. Lionel Grimston Fawkes    Photo provided by the Borradaile family who inherited Fawkes' works.
Culzean Castle by Col. Lionel Grimston Fawkes Photo provided by the Borradaile family who inherited Fawkes’ works.

 What really caught my eye in the book was the brief mentions of Col. Fawkes paintings of nature scenes upon the island which led me to pursue research on his work. Another detail that had escaped my family was the fact that Col. Fawkes belonged to a family who were devoted to the arts. Col Fawkes’ great grandfather was Walter Fawkes, a dear friend and patron to J.M.W. Turner. 

Watercolour by Col. L.G. Fawkes Photo provided by the Borradaile Family who inherited his work
Watercolour by Col. L.G. Fawkes Photo provided by the Borradaile Family who inherited his work

It turns out that Col. Fawkes had actually owned two of Turner’s original paintings,  Jack calls one Wharfdale and the other The Tow Boat, which I still cannot find any visuals of on the internet nor through my research. Even more odd is the fact that Jack Borradale tells of an account where he hand delivered the Turner paintings wrapped in only brown paper. He walked the streets of Vancouver and arrived at the Vancouver Art Gallery by public bus. After I contacted the VAG they could not find any record of ever having possession of this particular painting. 

J.M.W. Turner and Walter Fawkes at Farnley Hall, by John R. Wildman  Photo Credit: en.wikipedia.org
J.M.W. Turner and Walter Fawkes at Farnley Hall, by John R. Wildman Photo Credit: en.wikipedia.org

What happened to it? I can only surmise. However, Col. Fawkes’ family owned Farnley Hall so it could have went back to its original place upon the walls of this stately home in North Yorkshire.
One of my favourite accounts in uncle Jack’s book was about a letter he inherited:

             “…written by a Mrs. Fawkes of “Farnley” to her daughter telling her about a very interesting afternoon she spent with J.M.W. Turner, R.A., viewing some of his wonderful pictures.
             She [wrote], ‘We walked down the gallery to look at the large picture of Richmond Park, but as we were passing The Snow Storm, I stopped before it and Turner found it difficult to get me to look at any other picture. I told him that I had seen many storms and had been in such a scene as this one on the coast of Holland.
            ‘Turner told me that he could never have painted The Snow Storm had he not asked a sailor to lash him to the mast to observe it. In this position he stayed for four hours and never expected to escape. I felt bound to record it if I did.’” (Borradaile p. 60)

Snow Storm by J.M.W. Turner - now resides at the Tate Britain, London     Photo Credit: Arthistory.about.com
Snow Storm by J.M.W. Turner – now resides at the Tate Britain, London Photo Credit: Arthistory.about.com

After the death of Col. Fawkes and Lady Constance Fawkes my uncle inherited much of their estate including priceless works of art. He made his living selling off items and even took his family to Europe as I understand it.

An image of Culzean Mansion and their property on Mayne Island they purchased in 1925
An image of Culzean Mansion and their property on Mayne Island they purchased in 1925

 Uncle Jack had such an immense connection with the Fawkes’, particularly Lady Constance Fawkes that he researched both our Borradaile family as well as her ancestry perhaps seeing her as family after their time together.

Col. Lionel Grimston painting on Mayne Island, Image courtesy of the BC Archives
Col. Lionel Grimston painting on Mayne Island, Image courtesy of the BC Archives

I search on. But in searching I have found a prolific connection to my uncle as a writer, a lover of travel and art. I have him to thank for extensively researching my own family ancestry which reveals that the Borradaile line also produced art patrons and others who have molded history in their own way. I keep his book that is compiled of rough copies of old pages in old books, newspapers as well as birth and death records as far back as the 15th Century. It’s exciting to think who else my ancestors crossed paths with or perhaps who felt honored to have crossed paths with them.

ArtSmart

Lesley of Culture Tripper wrote: Colour Field Paintings by Canadian Painter William Perehudoff
Erin of A Sense of Place wrote:
What went into Medieval pigments and where’d they come from?
Christina of Day Dream Tourist wrote: Egyptian Blue Faience

 

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About Murissa

Murissa is founder of FoodieTown.ca, producer and host of The Okanagan Food Show Podcast, video editor and co-creator of the Foodie Card.

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10 comments

  1. Pingback: Honeymoon Hunting: Searching for Ancestors in England - The Wanderfull TravelerThe Wanderfull Traveler
  2. Pingback: #ArtSmart: Art that Inspires TravelThe Wanderfull Traveler
  3. Christina says:
    November 10, 2013 at 9:41 pm

    I love that the theme of “color” brought up a colorful story from your family history!

    Great pick with JMW Turner. He works has such an extensive palette and seamless transition all over the spectrum.

    Reply
    1. Wanderfull says:
      November 11, 2013 at 12:33 pm

      Thanks Christina and I completely agree with you about the range of colours within his works and their transitions. I found it baffling the first time I saw his work.

      Reply
  4. ehalvey says:
    November 10, 2013 at 1:01 pm

    Wow! That’s such an amazing story to discover!

    While I never studied Turner much (I stuck to earlier periods), he often came up in examples of how to write about art. There was a description of one of his nautical paintings that really managed to capture the essence of the painting where you can visualize it without an accompanying image. I think his ability to capture movement through color is what makes his works such a great exercise to describe.

    Reply
    1. Wanderfull says:
      November 11, 2013 at 12:31 pm

      Well said Erin!

      I found his works absolutely breathtaking – a cliché I know but it’s true! I really admire the lengths he went to in order to see new things wether it be a storm while tied to the mast or a waterfall while hanging above it on a branch. He was an adventurer, traveler and poet. My kind of guy!

      Reply
  5. Lesley Peterson says:
    November 8, 2013 at 10:33 pm

    What an amazing tale, Murissa! One of the most magical places in London, I think, is the Turner gallery at the Tate Britain. It’s truly incredible the atmospheric conditions he was able to capture without a camera, only his mind’s eye. A true genius. And ‘wanderfull’ post!

    Reply
    1. Wanderfull says:
      November 9, 2013 at 3:33 pm

      Thank you Lesley,

      It was such a wild ride as I was researching not expecting to find what I did.
      I really appreciate the kind words and your visit! Happy weekend to you!

      Reply
  6. Dina says:
    November 7, 2013 at 10:26 am

    Murissa, what an interesting story and beautifully written. The love of art, writing and travel is clearly in your genes. We are off to Europe for three months (Paris and Spain) but have been speaking with Val and Laura and we’d like to get together with you in the spring at my place. Perhaps a few more foodies can be gathered. Thanks for the post, I really enjoyed it.

    Reply
    1. Wanderfull says:
      November 7, 2013 at 11:18 am

      Hi Dina,

      Thanks so much for your kind words! Have fun in Paris and Spain! That sounds like a wonderful time and place to spend the holidays and new years. I look forward to the posts that are generated from your culinary adventures.
      I would love to get together with you all in the Spring time!
      See you then!

      Reply

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