Buckfastleigh Abbey, Devonshire

J.M.W. Turner is one of the most significant figures in the history of British art, and so when this sublime watercolour of Buckfastleigh Abbey became available for purchase, RAMM was keen to secure it for a public collection. It was purchased in 1979.

Turner first visited Devon and Cornwall in 1811. He soon returned, and in August 1814 stood on a hillside overlooking the Dart Valley. Armed with a sketchbook and pencil he recorded the view that lay before him: the sweeping curve of the river, the wooded hills and abbey buildings. It was some 12 years later that he produced this watercolour sketch which brought detail and atmosphere to the scene: a plume of smoke rising from the valley floor and boys pilfering birds’ eggs in the foreground.

Purchased with assistance from the Victoria and Albert Museum Purchase Grant Fund and the Art Fund as National Art Collections Fund, 1979