Joseph Mallord William Turner - St Erasmus in Bishop Islip's Chapel, Westminster Abbey - 1794

If there were any doubts that Lloyd's depiction of Tintern Abbey was the one exhibited by Turner at the Royal Academy in 1795, those doubts would vanish when considering this view of the interior of Westminster Abbey, exhibited the following year. Turner, at 21, exhibited his first oil painting at the Royal Academy, subtly highlighting his own extraordinary talent with a self-referential inscription on a tomb in the foreground. Many writers on Turner have since used this work to illustrate his early mastery of architectural drawing and watercolor, as well as his unique vision and genius, which are evident even in this relatively small-scale work on paper.

The artist's placement of a 'monument' in the scene indicates that the viewpoint is from the perspective of a visitor standing in the north ambulatory of the abbey, with light falling on Bishop Islip's chapel. The title Turner gave this watercolor reflects this precise positioning, despite causing confusion in the past.

St. Erasmus, patron saint of sailors, was a fitting subject for Turner, who was not only exhibiting his first marine painting but would go on to make the sea a significant theme in his future work. The figures in the scene are dwarfed by the towering pillars and arches, illuminated by shafts of light from the upper windows, transforming the natural gloom of the abbey into glowing golden stone. Turner's mastery of perspective, influenced by Piranesi and Ducros, is evident in his manipulation of light and shade to accentuate the architectural lines and create a sense of glorious space.

Source: British Museum