Anniversaries

Monday 15 January is the 228th anniversary of the birthday of BG Windus, a major patron of JMW Turner in later life.  Turner regularly attended his birthday dinner at his home (see header photograph) on Tottenham Green; sadly the house no longer exists.

5 January 1841
My dear Sir
allow me to wish you and Mrs Windus the compliments of the Season and happy New Year and to thank you for the invitation to dine at Tottenham on your Birthday – the 15 Friday at 6 o’clock and I will with very great pleasure accept and perform and hope Mr Jones will say yes likewise…
yours most truly
JMW Turner

JMW Turner letters

Pre-Raphaelites in
the Windus collection

2018 is the 170th anniversary of the founding of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB).  JMW Turner died in 1851, shortly after the formation of the PRB.  At the same time BG Windus began to buy their paintings becoming an important early patron, collecting many of what would become their most famous works.

Mariana  by Millais and Lucrezia Borgia by Rossetti, which were in the Windus collection, are displayed in the Reflections exhibition at the National Gallery. Mariana is featured on the publicity flyer on the left.

Monday 15 January is also the third anniversary of the Turner in Tottenham website.  If you would like to be kept up to date sign up for our irregular posts and follow us on Twitter.
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