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The Lake of Zug

1843
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 690
Turner’s skills as a virtuoso watercolorist are demonstrated in this image of a Swiss mountain lake surrounded by high peaks. He developed the work through successive applications of color—dilute washes, drier watercolors, and semi-opaque mixtures—then scraped through the layers to reveal white paper that suggests mist and reflections. The sun rises between the mountains Rossberg and Mythen behind the town of Arth, while women play in the water and villagers prepare to set out in boats. After a summer visit to the Lucerne region, the artist created a few large watercolors on commission for select patrons, basing the compositions on looser preparatory designs. As a celebrated example of Turner’s late work, The Lake of Zug is exhibited to mark the 250th anniversary of his birth.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Lake of Zug
  • Artist: Joseph Mallord William Turner (British, London 1775–1851 London)
  • Date: 1843
  • Medium: Watercolor and bodycolor (gouache) with reductive techniques over graphite
  • Dimensions: 11 3/4 × 18 3/8 in. (29.8 × 46.6 cm)
    Framed: 21 × 27 in. (53.3 × 68.6 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Marquand Fund, 1959
  • Object Number: 59.120
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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