J. M. W. Turner made several trips to Switzerland, where the alpine landscape inspired some of his most remarkable work. Famous among the late Swiss watercolours of the 1840s are three views of Mt Rigi, seen from Lake Lucerne, which show the mountain at different times of day. Turner captured fleeting colour changes on the mountain slopes, recording the altering moods of the scene under different lighting conditions. In The Red Rigi the mountain is illuminated by the warm glow of the setting sun. The artist’s atmospheric representation of space and light evokes a sense of tranquillity and contemplative calm.