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

Once more cramming the page with as many sketches as can fit, here Turner records various views of the Moselle as he travelled downstream from the Marienburg towards Kloster Stuben (‘Stop’), taking in the towns of Alf (‘Aluff’), Bullay (‘Pouley’/ ‘Pouly’), St Aldegund (‘Aldehund’), Neef, and Bremm on the way. Perhaps we can account for the sheer number of sketches Turner produced on this sheet by turning to the Victorian travel writer Michael Joseph Quin’s description of the Moselle topography upon quitting Alf. Quin writes that the ‘scenery here changes materially in its character... in approaching Bremm and Aldegund, the chains [of mountains] approach so nearly to each other on both banks of the river, that they seemed as if they were to impede our further progress’.1 This changing landscape clearly stimulated Turner to draw intently and continually.