Chatel Argent and the Val d’Aosta from above Villeneuve 1836

Joseph Mallord William Turner made this watercolor painting, Chatel Argent and the Val d’Aosta from above Villeneuve, during the early 19th century. Turner was a celebrated Romantic landscape painter in Britain, an era in which travel became more accessible and popular than ever before. As a result, the role of the artist as a chronicler of place became especially important, and the art market became a significant institution. He traveled extensively throughout Europe and was fascinated by the aesthetic concept of the sublime, particularly in the context of mountain ranges. The Alps in this view represent a grand scale that makes humanity feel small in comparison to the natural world. The ruins in this image speak to the passage of time, a common theme in Romantic painting. Art historians consult travel guides, letters, and exhibition reviews to better understand the cultural context of artworks such as this. Doing so helps us to see how it was produced within a specific network of social and economic relations.