Great Bookham Church, Surrey

Some specialists have questioned whether this work is really by Turner. It is certainly different in style from another work in the collection, 'Lake Nemi and the town of Genzano' (WAG 8142) , from around the same date. It is similar however to other works of a similar date in the Turner Bequest at Tate. Forgeries of Turner’s work had already begun to appear during the artist’s lifetime. This watercolour was included in a sale by Dr Thomas Monro, his early patron, in 1833. At this sale Turner purchased and destroyed 13 fakes to protect his future reputation. If this watercolour was a forgery, it is thought that Turner would have bought it as well.