Watercolor, white wax crayon, and scraping out on moderately thick, moderately textured, cream wove paper
Dimensions:
Sheet: 41 5/8 x 29 7/8 inches (105.7 x 75.9 cm)
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1981.12
Gallery Label:
In this dramatic watercolor, the sheer walls of the valley, the fast-moving stream tumbling into its depths, and the distant form of the bridge — mirroring the arch of the rainbow above — create a thrilling vision of the towering and treacherous mountain landscape. Its subject is the Devil’s Bridge in the Schöllenen Gorge, one of the most evocative features of the St. Gotthard Pass, which traverses some of Switzerland’s most breathtaking Alpine scenery. The pass’s winding paths and precarious bridges were a favorite subject for Romantic writers and artists. Turner was no exception: he made a point of sketching this scene while traveling the pass during his 1802 continental tour. Gallery label for J. M. W. Turner: Romance and Reality (Yale Center for British Art, March - 29, 2025 - July 27, 2025)
