The painting by Turner beautifully complements the work of Aelbert Cuyp (1620 – 1691), Dordrecht’s most famous painter. Turner was a great admirer of the Dutch master’s work. Not only did Cuyp’s soft, golden light make a deep impression on the English artist, but he was also charmed by Dordrecht, Cuyp’s hometown. He visited the city a total of four times.
Whalley Bridge and Abbey was made in the same year that Turner praised Cuyp’s lighting effects in a lecture. Indeed, the light and serene, tranquil atmosphere in this work by the English artist are highly reminiscent of Cuyp. The exhibition In the Light of Cuyp, which examines Cuyp’s impact on English landscape painters, opens at the Dordrechts Museum on 3 October, and the new acquisition will be a major highlight. Admirers of Turner’s work won’t have to wait until then to admire the new acquisition, however. It will be on display in the Cuyp Room at the Dordrechts Museum until 1 September.