Follow Ireland Immigration and Ireland Life: The National Gallery of Ireland will exhibit a large collection of watercolors by Joseph Mallord William Turner in January. These works come from the famous Vaughan collection and include striking watercolors created during Turner's later travels in Europe, such as "Doge's Palace in Venice," "Lake Lucerne," and "The Fortress of Bellinzona."
Henry Vaughan was born in Southwark, London, in 1809. His father was a wealthy hat manufacturer who died in 1828, leaving his son a substantial fortune. Subsequently, Vaughan became an active art collector and gradually built a vast and magnificent collection. During his lifetime, he frequently visited artists and was described by Ruskin as "a great Turner man." He passed away in 1899, never having married, and after his death, his art collection was distributed among major public museums. The majority of the outstanding Turner watercolors were bequeathed to the National Gallery of Scotland (38 pieces) and the National Gallery of Ireland (31 pieces).
The Turner watercolor legacy from the Vaughan collection was bequeathed to the National Gallery of Ireland in 1900. Later, the gallery's director, Walter Armstrong, praised Henry Vaughan in his book "Turner."
There are 31 Turner watercolors in the Vaughan collection gifted to the National Gallery of Ireland, and the gallery has continued to add to its collection of Turner watercolors over the years. Today, the collection has reached 36 pieces, and these works still retain their original charm. The National Gallery of Ireland continues to adhere to the conditions of the "Vaughan Bequest"; therefore, every January, the gallery exhibits these outstanding watercolor works, which remains one of the most attractive exhibitions of the year at the gallery.