Turner's Surfaces: Reichenbach Falls Painting

J. M. W. Turner's 1804 watercolour painting, The Great Fall of the Reichenbach, depicts the Swiss waterfall of the same name. The painting was based on sketches made by Turner during a trip to Switzerland in 1802. The Reichenbach Falls have become famous due to their association with Sherlock Holmes, as they were the setting for the final battle between Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's hero and his arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty, in The Final Problem. Turner's painting has also appeared in popular culture, including in the BBC television series Sherlock and the 2012 movie A Game of Shadows.

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Turner's painting was inspired by his trip to Switzerland in 1802

J. M. W. Turner's 1804 watercolour painting, "The Great Fall of the Reichenbach", was inspired by his trip to Switzerland in 1802. The painting depicts the Reichenbach Falls, a waterfall in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland, which drops a height of 250 metres (820 ft). The upper Grand Reichenbach Fall is one of the highest waterfalls in the Alps, at 110 metres (360 ft).

Turner's painting was based on sketches he made during his Swiss trip. The artwork is notable not just for its size—3.35 feet high by 2.26 feet wide—but also because it served as a reference to the original location of the struggle between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 1894 story, "The Final Problem".

The fictional confrontation between Holmes and his arch-nemesis at the Reichenbach Falls has been depicted in various adaptations, including the Granada Television series starring Jeremy Brett as Holmes and the 2012 BBC series "Sherlock". The falls have thus become popularly linked with Sherlock Holmes, although Turner himself had no knowledge of this future association.

The painting "The Great Fall of the Reichenbach" has gained renewed popularity since its appearance in the 2012 episode of "Sherlock". It has also been exhibited at the Museum of London in 2014 as part of an exhibition dedicated to Sherlock Holmes. Turner's artwork continues to capture the imagination of audiences, showcasing the artist's remarkable talent and the dramatic beauty of the Swiss landscape that inspired him.

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The painting is a watercolour on paper, completed in 1804

J. M. W. Turner's "The Falls of the Reichenbach" is a watercolour painting on paper, completed in 1804. The painting depicts the Reichenbach Falls, a waterfall in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland, which drops a height of 250 metres (820 ft). The falls are particularly associated with Turner and have been the subject of several early 19th-century paintings by the English Romantic landscape painter.

Turner's painting is based on sketches he made during a trip to Switzerland in 1802, where the falls are located. The watercolour is quite large, measuring 3.35 feet high by 2.26 feet wide (40 x 27 inches or 103 x 70 cm). The painting is currently owned by The Higgins Bedford museum in Bedfordshire, UK.

The Reichenbach Falls have become popularly linked with Sherlock Holmes due to their appearance in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 1894 story "The Final Problem". In the story, Holmes and his arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty, supposedly fall to their deaths over the Great Fall of the Reichenbach. However, Conan Doyle later claimed that Holmes had only faked his death and continued to write more stories about the detective.

The painting "The Falls of the Reichenbach" has also appeared in popular culture, including in the 2012 BBC television series "Sherlock" and the 2014 Museum of London exhibition dedicated to Sherlock Holmes. Additionally, the indie band Ravens & Chimes named its debut album after the falls, released in 2007.

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Turner's work is titled 'The Great Falls of the Reichenbach'

Turner's work, titled "The Great Falls of the Reichenbach", is a watercolour painting from 1804. The painting depicts the Reichenbach Falls, a waterfall in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland, which drops a height of 250 metres (820 ft). The falls are particularly notable for their appearance in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Final Problem", where Sherlock Holmes and his arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty, supposedly fall to their deaths.

Turner's painting is based on sketches he made during a trip to Switzerland in 1802. The artwork is quite large for a watercolour, measuring 40 x 27 inches (103 x 70 cm). It is currently owned by The Higgins Bedford museum in Bedfordshire, UK. The painting has gained popularity since its appearance in the 2012 BBC television series "Sherlock", which also features a reproduction of the artwork.

The Reichenbach Falls have become a cultural landmark due to their association with Conan Doyle's work. The falls were already an object of interest before the publication of "The Final Problem", as noted by geologist Gottlieb Sigmund Gruner in his 1760 work "Die Eisgebirge des Schweizerlandes". The site's fame was further enhanced by its connection to the fictional death of Sherlock Holmes, and it continues to be a popular attraction for fans of the detective.

Turner's painting captures the grandeur and drama of the Reichenbach Falls, showcasing his remarkable talent at a young age. The artwork's subsequent appearance in popular media has introduced it to a wider audience, allowing more people to appreciate Turner's mastery of watercolour and his ability to convey the sublime in nature.

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The painting is owned by The Higgins Bedford museum in Bedfordshire, UK

Turner's 1804 watercolour painting, The Great Fall of the Reichenbach, is owned by The Higgins Bedford museum in Bedfordshire, UK. The painting, which measures 40 x 27 inches (103 x 70 cm), was based on sketches made by Turner during a trip to Switzerland in 1802, where the falls are located. The painting has gained popularity due to its appearance in the 2012 BBC television series Sherlock, specifically in an episode that references Arthur Conan Doyle's 1894 Sherlock Holmes story, "The Final Problem".

The Higgins Bedford museum, also known as The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum, is the principal art gallery and museum in Bedford, Bedfordshire. The museum was created by Cecil Higgins, a philanthropic brewer, to house his collection of ceramics, glass, and objets d'art for the benefit and education of the inhabitants of Bedford. The current building, which opened in 2013, is the result of a £5.8 million refurbishment project that united three previous cultural venues: the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery, the Bedford Museum, and the Bedford Gallery.

The Higgins Bedford museum is located in the Castle Quarter, occupying the site of the former Higgins and Sons Castle Brewery buildings, built in 1838. The quarter also includes the Castle Bailey gardens, the Castle Quay development with flats, restaurants, and shops, and the John Bunyan Museum.

The museum holds nationally significant collections, including works by Victorian designer William Burges and 20th-century printmaker Edward Bawden. The Higgins Fine & Decorative arts collections, previously housed in a separate institution, are now owned by the trustees of the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery and displayed within the new gallery and museum.

The popularity of Turner's painting, The Great Fall of the Reichenbach, has brought increased attention to The Higgins Bedford museum, showcasing the significant artworks housed in this Bedfordshire institution.

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The artwork has appeared in popular culture, including the BBC series 'Sherlock'

Turner's 1804 watercolour painting, The Great Falls of the Reichenbach, has appeared in popular culture, including the BBC series Sherlock. The artwork was featured in the 2012 episode "The Reichenbach Fall", the third and final instalment of the show's second series. The painting also made a reappearance in series 3, episode 4, "The Abominable Bride".

In the episode, a reproduction of the artwork is shown, with references to it continuing throughout. A newspaper article that briefly flashes on the screen says that Holmes found the “Turner masterpiece” ten days after it was stolen from an auction house. The attention that Sherlock receives for recovering the painting incites the plot’s main events. The episode also features a large poster of the painting.

The inclusion of Turner's artwork in the episode is a nice Easter egg, as the painting depicts the original location of the struggle between Sherlock Holmes and his arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty, in the 1894 story "The Final Problem". In the episode, the final confrontation between Holmes and Moriarty takes place atop a London building instead of a Swiss waterfall.

The painting's appearance in the BBC series generated increased popularity for the artwork, with The Higgins Bedford museum in Bedfordshire, UK, where the original painting is kept, reporting that the artwork had become very popular since its appearance in the episode.

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