the Royal Academy. He moved into a more commodious
house at 64 Harley Street. During this year he exhibited pictures of
Caernarvon Castle and the "Fifth Plague of Egypt;" also fine views of
Fonthill Abbey, the new palace of Beckford, with whom he spent much time.
The only portrait for which Turner ever sat was painted in 1800 by George
Dance. It shows a handsome young man, with a full but receding forehead,
arched eyebrows, a prominent nose, a massive chin, and a sensual mouth.
His thick and wiry hair is tied behind, and he wears a coat with an
immense cape. By this time full-bottomed wigs had gone out of fashion, and
the old barber abandoned his business to go and live with his artist son.
In 1801 Turner exhibited pictures of St. Donat's Castle and Pembroke
Castle in Wales, the Salisbury Chapter-house, an autumn morning in London,
the destruction of the Median army, and Dutch fishing-boats in a gale. He
had begun his contest with Claude by painting pictures of classical
subjects in Claude's manner. Turner was elected Royal Academician in 1802,
and exhibited several notable oil-paintings, signed with all his initials,
which he thenceforth used. The Academy had been quick to recognize
Turner's genius, and he was always its faithful, conservative, and zealous
friend. As an auditor, councillor, or a visitor he was scrupulous, and he
attended general meetings and formal dinners with the same promptitude and
certainty with which for forty-five years he sent his pictures to the
annual exhibitions. He was a peacemaker in debates, but in business he was
irresolute. In 1802 he visited the Continent for the first time,
travelling in France, Switzerland, and Italy, and everywhere making
sketches. At this time he carried sketch-books in which he jotted
everything--all manner of drawings and outlines of nature and
architecture, notes of local gossip, chemical memoranda, notes of
expenses, tavern bills, views of coasts and cities, ruins, castles,
manufacturing works, and detached figures. One book gives views about the
Simplon Pass, another the sea-coast from Nice to Genoa, another contains
countless jottings from the pictures in the Vatican, another is taken up
with views in Paris and Rouen, and several are devoted to Scottish
scenery.

In 1806 Turner began his _Liber Studiorum_, in rivalship of Claude's
_Liber Veritatis_; it was issued in parts in dark blue covers, each part
containing five plates. It was discontinued in 1814, after