CHAPTER XLIII

1837: AGED SIXTY-TWO

'TROUBLES BEGIN TO GATHER ABOUT HIM. NOTHING WILL GO RIGHT'

The pictures exhibited in 1837 did not restore Turner to favour. They included the 'Snowstorm, Avalanche and Inundation,' described as a 'tumult of cloud, wind and raging torrent in the gorge,' the sketch for which he had made on his way to Italy with Munro of Novar; and the 'Departure of Regulus,' which Ruskin included among the 'nonsense pictures.'

Troubles begin to gather about him. Nothing will go right. The beautiful _England and Wales_ series had been received with so little favour that it was decided to discontinue the issue. The stock was put up for auction, but Turner opened negotiations and purchased the whole privately for three thousand pounds. Many of those present were willing to buy portions of the work. To one of these Turner said: 'So, sir, you were going to buy my _England and Wales_ to sell cheap, I suppose--make umbrella prints of them, eh? But I have taken care of that. No more of my plates shall be worn to shadows.'

The dealer tried to explain that he wanted only the printed stock, and Turner seemed to understand, made an appointment, then forgot all about the matter.

Fighting the world of men, he never wearied in finding his way about the world of nature, recording his impressions, and adding with difficulty to his small stock of education. On the first page of the 'Dresden' Sketch-Book is the following:--

'I want to go to Berlin. Ich will nach Berlin gehen. I wish to see. Ich wollte--sehen, etc.'

A little later he comes into his own joys again--twenty-one pages of 'Buildings,' and sixteen of 'Views on River,' with sketches of sunsets and rocks, distant coasts and sailing boats--anything so long as it was beautiful in light, line or movement.