The watercolour was acquired after a successful public appeal by the Art Fund which raised over £550,000 in just over 5 weeks. The campaign involved a highly successful appeal via the Art Fund's website which raised over £550,000 in just over 5 weeks. Members of the public were able to buy pixellated brushstrokes that gradually revealed the original watercolour as more money was committed. Turner depicts the Rigi, a Swiss mountain peak, rising above Lake Lucerne at sunrise and its defining dark tone reflects Turner's interest in the transforming effects of lighting and atmospheric effects. This work was acquired with assistance from the Wolfson Foundation.

Provenance

Bought for 80 guineas by Elhanan Bicknell, 1842; ChristieÂ’s, 1863; AgnewÂ’s; J.E.Taylor, 1863; ChristieÂ’s, 1912; AgnewÂ’s; Walter H.Jones; ChristieÂ’s, 1942; AgnewÂ’s; private collection; ChristieÂ’s, 2006; private collection.