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

With the page inverted relative to the sketchbook’s foliation, there are three rapidly rendered mountain valley views here. The top one appears to be labelled ‘Levico [...]’, and ‘Lago’ indicates a lake in the central scene. The setting is presumably west of Levico Terme (see folio 20 recto; D31365), as Turner travelled on towards Trento (see under folio 37 recto; D31669). The distant spire in the first view is possibly the campanile of the Santissimo Redentore church, seen in the foreground of D31365.

The second note could apply to either the Lago di Levico or the larger Lago di Caldonazzo to its west; the latter is the source of the River Brenta, which Turner had followed to Levico up the mountainous Valsugana; it is possibly labelled specifically on folio 85 recto (D31762), although that page may show subjects from the route up the Adige (Etsch) beyond Trento. The artist’s use of the sketchbook was somewhat haphazard, with some identified subjects from the early stages of his itinerary appearing towards the front and back as foliated; see the Introduction for the overall route.