Sir William Hamilton’s Villa c. 1795

J.M.W. Turner made this watercolor painting of "Sir William Hamilton’s Villa" most likely between 1796 and 1798. Turner depicts the villa as an idyllic retreat, embedding it within the grandeur of the Italian landscape. But consider the circumstances in which the image was produced. Britain was at war with France and there was widespread unrest in Europe. As we see here, landscape art could offer wealthy patrons such as Hamilton a comforting vision of permanence and stability. It presents a world of leisure, pleasure and refinement that deflects attention from social upheaval. The art historian needs to situate the work in its precise moment to see its cultural work, its negotiation of anxieties about power and place. By studying the social and institutional context, we can learn to see how the image offers a carefully constructed view of the world.