J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours

Used vertically both ways up, this page largely comprises swiftly executed drawings. At the top right is a study of barges, and at the top left, with the page turned horizontally, a heavier sketch of buildings. At the centre are two riverbank views, with the lower extending across the front paste-down opposite (D32541; CCCXXII 1). It shows a rural prospect with a distant tower, while the upper view is an urban skyline with a tower and at least one spire, apparently supplemented by studies of three substantial church spires (or possibly consecutive aspects of the same structure).

At the bottom, inverted relative to the foliation, is a view in the vicinity of the city of Arnhem, in the east of the Netherlands, labelled as such apparently in the German style, with a penultimate letter ‘i’; it possibly includes the tower of St Eusebius’s Church on the right. Unusually, the date ‘2 Oct’ (a Wednesday in 1833) was added after the place name; ‘1 Oct’ appears below a river scene on folio 58 recto (D32653; CCCXXII 59). In the present drawing, Turner focused on recording the atmosphere, with written notes of ‘Light’ breaking through ‘Fog[?g]’ above the surrounding meadows rather than the city itself. There are other slight studies of Arnhem on the opposite page, and it is possible that all the studies were made nearby.

As set out in its Introduction, this sketchbook covers Turner’s homeward route from Augsburg to Rotterdam (see under folios 1 verso and 14 recto respectively; D32543, D32568; CCCXXII 2a, 15). He travelled back down the familiar River Rhine through Germany, gradually filling the sketchbook somewhat randomly from both ends rather than in a single sequence. After entering the Netherlands, he continued north-west along its Nederrijn distributary to Arnhem, the first identified Dutch subject; see also folios 11 verso–12 recto (D32563–D32564; CCCXXII 12a–13); Rotterdam lies about sixty miles to its west. Turner drew the city from a distance in the Arnheim, &c. sketchbook, perhaps of 1844 (Tate D32709–D32780; Turner Bequest CCCXXIV 1a–2).

Working down the page, its third quarter is taken up with pencil memoranda, typical of the ad hoc travel notes at the beginnings and ends of Turner’s touring sketchbooks (see also D32541 opposite and folio 62 verso; D32662; CCCXXII 63a):

‘Col’ presumably indicates Cologne, upriver on the Middle Rhine (see under folio 37 recto; D32612; CCCXXII 38). It is unclear whether the notes, at least partly financial and likely including distances or durations, are a record of this part of the artist’s river journey (as ‘paid’ would suggest) or notes made beforehand. ‘Wed’ is doubtless for Wednesday, but whether this relates to 2 October, which fell on that day as noted above, is unclear. ‘Col’ also appears within the less legible notes on the opposite page.

Technical notes:

The pale brown staining at the centre of the outer edge is owing to the leaf’s proximity to the leather pencil loop anchored under the front paste-down opposite (D32541; CCCXXII 1).