These images are provided for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons License (BY-NC-ND). To license a high resolution version, please contact our image library who will discuss fees, terms and waivers.
Download this imageCreative commons explained - what it means, how you can use our's and other people's content.
Makers: Snell, William and Edward (Probable)
Mahogany cabinet with brass mounts and ivory plaques, with five removable vertical cases, each case containing five removable glazed oak frames for drawings. The top has a flange at the front inscribed in gold lettering 'WATER-COLOURS by J.M.W.TURNER, R.A./Given by JOHN RUSKIN, 1861.'
Mahogany with brass mounts, and ivory inlaid or applied plaques. Rectangular, standing on a low plinth. The top is hinged 22 cm from the back edge, and has a flange at the front which is inscribed in gold lettering: 'WATER-COLOURS by J.M.W. TURNER, R.A./Given by JOHN RUSKIN, 1861', below which is a key hole. When pushed up, the top is supported by a hinged brass prop and ratchet in the top of the right side of the carcase. The carcase contains five removable vertical cases with handles of leather-covered metal on the top. These are numbered on the front with inlaid circular ivory disks, numbered respectively 1 to 5 in black. Each has a metal alloy latch-type fastening lower down on the front. Each case contains five removable glazed oak frames for drawings, grooved at the top and bottom to fit into runners in the boxes. Some retain a leather tab by which they were drawn out of the box. They are numbered above the frames on the inside of the top of the case, on applied rectangular ivory plaques, originally numbered 1-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, and 21-25. The first case has the number '1' on an rectangular ivory label at bottom right.
The gilding on the brass hinges is worn. The top of the cabinet is very badly scratched, particularly on the area behind the hinge. The following numbers are missing from above the frames: 1, 2, 10, 14, 15, 17-19, 21-25. Frame 25 is missing
History note: Commissioned by the donor.
Given by John Ruskin, RA.
Depth: 52.7 cm
Height: 76.5 cm
Width: 78.2 cm
Method of acquisition: Given (1861) by Ruskin, John
Victorian
19th Century
Production date:
AD 1861
Hinges
composed of
gilt
Case Handles
composed of
metal
leather
Case Frames
composed of
glaze
oak
Carcase
composed of
mahogany
Disks, Plaques
composed of
ivory
Mounts, Hinges
composed of
brass (alloy)
Plinth
Height 10 cm
Frames
Height 51.2 cm
Width 43 cm
Cases
Disks
Plaques
Accession number: M.2-1861
Primary reference Number: 77246
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
Mirador deep zoom
IIIF Manifest
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Drawing cabinet" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/77246 Accessed: 2024-11-25 09:03:14
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/77246
|title=Drawing cabinet
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-25 09:03:14|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:
https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-77246
To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:
<div class="text-center">
<figure class="figure">
<img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa40/M_2_1861_1_dc2.jpg"
alt="Drawing cabinet"
class="img-fluid" />
<figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Drawing cabinet</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
Updates about future exhibitions and displays, family activities, virtual events & news. You'll be the first to know...
