George Cooke (1781–1834), after Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851)
Brighton, 1825
For Picturesque Views on the Southern Coast of England
Line engraving (first published state)
Sheet: 11 x 14 1/4 in. (27.9 x 36.2 cm)
Plate: 9 1/2 x 12 3/8 in. (24.1 x 31.4 cm)
Image: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4 in. (15.6 x 23.5 cm)
Yale Center for British Art; Paul Mellon Collection
See related watercolor
By the nineteenth century, Brighton (traditionally known as Brighthelmston) was one of England’s most fashionable resorts, as well as the departure point for the cross-Channel ferry to Dieppe. Featured in the watercolor are the chain pier at right (where the ferry boats docked) and King George IV’s Indian-style Royal Pavilion on the shore, both completed the previous year. Turner’s soft washes of watercolor are translated into sharp hatching in the engraving. The rainbow in the sky also becomes more pronounced.