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

Engraved:
By J.C. Armytage in 1834, published in 1835.

In this watercolour, Turner presents a tranquil view on the bank of the River Seine at the town of Troyes, the ancient capital of the Champagne region, in north-central France. Turner portrays figures in relaxed poses. Troyes cathedral in the background is conveyed in softly contrasting colours of salmon and lilac. Light falls from the top right corner, picking out edges of the buildings at far right in russet tones, highlighting the edges of turrets to the left before hitting and highlighting the tower just left of centre, and leaving the area at central right in purpled shadow, above the still water. All these elements suggest it is early evening.

The watercolour is based on pencil sketches (Tate D24366,1 D243702 and D24380;3 respectively Turner Bequest CCLVII 101a, 103a, 108a) in Turner’s Paris and Environs sketchbook from 1832.

An engraving was made of this watercolour by J.C. Armytage in 1834, as Troyes (Tate impressions T04726, T05626 and T06264) for the volume Wanderings by the Seine of 1835.4 This is the last of Turner’s series of illustrations to appear in the volume. Various elements have been added to the engraving, namely a crescent moon high at the top centre of the sheet, its reflection in the water at bottom centre, and several ducks in the lower right corner.

Verso:

Previous records note inscriptions in gouache ‘21[?] | Troyes’ and in pencil ‘20’; however, currently covered and simply marked ‘No image on the back.’