The Chancel and Crossing of Tintern Abbey, Looking Towards the East Window, 1794
Pencil and Watercolor
Tate, London, Bequeathed by the Artist, 1856

Once again
Do I behold these steep and lofty cliffs,
That on a wild secluded scene impress
Thoughts of more deep seclusion; and connect
The landscape with the quiet of the sky.
William Wordsworth,
“Lines Composed A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey,” 1798

The monumental scale of Tintern Abbey seems larger than life in Joseph Mallord William Turner’s painting of this historic site. The Gothic cathedral towers over small figures and ruins of the building. Located in the wild landscape of the Wye Valley near Wales, Tintern Abbey was a site that travelers were encouraged to visit in Observations on the River Wye, a book published in 1782 by Reverend William Gilpin. Turner first traveled to the Wye Valley at seventeen and used his training as an architectural draftsman to create an image of the east side of Tintern Abbey. The beauty of Tintern Abbey has also inspired many writers, including William Wordsworth and Edward Davies.