Works from the Estate of William Ralph Turner

As part of our Winter Exhibition we are showing a selection of paintings and drawings from the estate of William Turner which we are selling on behalf of the William Turner estate. William Turner died in June 2013 at the age of 93 and was the last of the great northern industrial painters. He is one of the north’s most important artists and enjoyed huge commercial and critical success in the latter part of his life.

The works on show include two important large oil paintings and a number of smaller oils. There is also a preparatory pencil sketch for the oil painting he did of L.S. Lowry in 1974 plus an original Lowry drawing which Lowry gave to him at the Tib Lane gallery in Manchester in 1970.

The most exciting part of the collection is a series of 22 unseen watercolours which were discovered after the artist’s death and were found hidden away in his studio. These rare watercolours were done between 1949 and 1961 and include industrial scenes, rural landscapes, portraits and nudes. They are a must see for any William Turner collector.

Worsley, 1949, Watercolour, 13” x 19”

Worsley, 1949, Watercolour, 13” x 19”

 

Industrial Landscape, Watercolour, 13” x 18”

Industrial Landscape, Watercolour, 13” x 18”

The strength of the market for William Turner’s work was highlighted recently when The Funeral, a 16” x 18 ½” oil painted in 1970 sold at auction in Cheshire on the 28th November for £16,000.

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The painting is painted from the perspective of the corpse looking up from the grave at the mourners who are peering over the edge. It’s one of his quirky paintings and shows his great sense of humour. It’s a unique work and we included it in William Ralph Turner our 2010 book on his life and career as an artist.

All available William Turner works can be viewed on our website www.clark-art.co.uk.