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the "Keepsake," beginning with "Florence," and ending with "The Sea-the Sea." About this time, I think, appeared his very unequal engravings to Finden's "Illustrations of the Bible."

In 1830 and 1834 Turner executed some of his most charming drawings for Rogers's beautiful edition of his "Italy;" and in the latter year, those for his complete "Poems." In the "Mont St. Bernard," the figures were by Stothard, and the dogs by E. Landseer. The moonlight in the "Villa Madonna" is steeped in the most delicious poetry; the figures in the "Scene with Banditti" are full of spirit.

Nor does this vast area of industry and genius comprise all the engravings from Turner's pictures and drawings. In my Index will be found a long list of subscription plates; among which the "Dido and Æneas,” the "Caligula's Bridge," the "Mercury and Herse," the "Crossing the Brook," the "Ancient and Modern Italy," the "Cologne" and "Ehrenbreitstein," the "Golden Bough," the "Lake of Narni," and several Venetian pictures, are conspicuous. To these we must add a long series of single plates.

In 1834 appeared his further illustrations to Byron's works; and the same year a long series of Scotch and French landscapes in the edition of Scott's "Prose and Poetical Works" published by Cadell of Edinburgh.

1833-4-5 the annual tours of Turner comprised the rivers of France, including châteaux, bridges, and towers innumerable. In 1835 appeared his seven illustrations to Macerone's edition of Milton's works, the least successful of all his book illustrations. In

1837 he illustrated Campbell's works; and in 1839, Moore's novel of the "Epicurean" (also feeble, strained, and misunderstood).

In 1836-7, Turner had prepared for the engraver some careful drawings of views in India, from sketches by Lieutenant White.

The single plates commenced with the "Brocklesby Mausoleum," "Norham Castle," and "Ivy Bridge," 1827, and ended with a frontispiece for "Pilgrim's Progress," in 1847.

There are also some mezzotintos after Turner, such as "Whiting-fishing off Margate," the "Eddystone Lighthouse," the "Wreck of the Minotaur," the "Wreck," a "Shipwreck," and the "Burning Mountain" (engraved in colours).

To all these works we must add, the "Ports of England," and "Views in Sussex."

It is this constant issue of engravings that was the real secret of Turner's wealth, and of the two cartloads of proofs that he left behind him. From some of his engravings he must have reaped large sums. No one knows, moreover, how many of the "Liber" were sold; probably at least three times as many copies as the "coppers" ought to have produced.

CHAPTER XIV.

TURNER'S ART LIFE. (PART I)

TURNER'S first drawing exhibited at the Royal Academy was hung up in the humble room set apart for sculpture and drawings, miniatures and models in wax. The "Rising Squall, Hot Wells," was one of the earliest pictures that made critics think that a new poet had arisen.

In 1793 Turner went to make a drawing for Walker at Rochester, and soon after began his first oil-picture. In 1794 he contributed drawings to several works; and in 1796, his picture of Sheffield obtained loud praise from the critics; including, I believe, the bitter, but generally just art-satirist, (Pasquin) Williams.

Up to 1799 (his Associateship year) Turner had exhibited sixty-two pictures, forty of these had been architectural, the rest British topography and landscape. His first subject picture was "Fishermen at Sea," 1796. Of his thirteen exhibited religious pictures, the "Plague of Egypt," 1798, was the first while of his thirty-seven mythological, "Jason" led the way.

One of Turner's earliest drawings was of the

Pantheon after the fire (1792). The Pantheon had been used for masquerades, and also as a theatre and an opera-house. The drawing represents the ruins of the front wall and portico. It is coloured in a dry manner, and the holes, once windows, are hung with icicles.

The "Moonlight at Millbank," exhibited 1797, when Turner was twenty-two, was his first exhibited oil-picture, as "Lambeth Palace" has been his first water-colour drawing. Anxious to avoid being too transparent and slight in manner, his early oil-pictures were dark and heavy. The next year he appeared with "Coniston Fells," evidently a great painter. His other picture of 1797 was hung in the ante-room with his four architectural drawings. As early as the age of thirteen, Turner had been copying pictures of Morland in oil.

Turner's diploma picture was "Dolbadern," imitative of Wilson's breadth, yet full of the grand solemnity of evening. In the "Dunstanborough Castle" "the run-in of the dancing water," bright with the sunrise, shows an originality that no mere imitator could give.

But before I proceed further, let me divide Turner's art life into three periods.

Mr. Ruskin divides Turner's art life in the following way, and the division cannot be gainsaid:

:

In Turner's first period, 1800 to 1820, he laboured as a student, imitating various old masters.

In his second period, 1820 to 1835, he worked on the principles of art he had discovered as a student, doing what the theories of art then required, and pro

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ducing beautiful ideal compositions instead of mere transcripts of nature.

In the third period, 1835 to 1845, he abandoned the ideal, reproducing his own simple impressions of nature, and associating them with his own deepest feelings.

In 1845 his health gave way, and his mind and sight began to fail. The pictures of the last five years of his life (he died in 1851) are of wholly inferior value.

In his first period, the pictures are notable for a grey or brown colour, and for a sometimes heavy touch. Turner is more anxious for form than colour; the colours are simple and few, and laid on unskilfully. His colour was sober because he was studying sobercoloured landscapes, and as the touch of them was heavy, so was his touch; but he imitated without copying. He did not copy Vandervelde, but went to the sea and painted it in the Vandervelde way; so that by degrees he learnt to paint truer than Vandervelde.

Second Period.-In 1823 came his "Bay of Baiæ," which shows a change to the second period. The chief characteristics of this period are colour instead of grey, refinement instead of force, quantity instead of mass. His light is now as near the brightness of real light as possible; his shadow, not of one colour, but of various colours. He tries now for delicacy and tenderness of contrast instead of violence. He also finds that no one had yet given the quantity of nature. The drawings of this period, when not. painted for display, are "faultless and magnificent."