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

As identified by the geographer and Turner researcher Roland Courtot, the subject of this composition is the ruined castle at Serves-sur-Rhône, located on the left bank of the Rhône.1 The central inscription ‘Sirve’, previously transcribed as ‘Dirve’ in Finberg’s 1909 Inventory of the Bequest, confirms this location.2

Turner achieved this low viewpoint from the River Rhône, as he continued his two-day journey from Lyon to Avignon. Following the river’s natural trajectory, he exploited the sketching opportunities of a boat in continuous motion, recording the landscape as it unfolded before his eyes. Courtot regarded Turner’s sketching practice as analogous to how one would use a camera today, a technique illustrated by the multifaceted effect achieved here.3 At the top of the page, he observed the castle from a distance, with the steep mountainous incline to the left. From a closer vantage point, he made a more detailed rendering of the ruin across the centre. Completing the triptych effect, Turner looked back on his route to sketch the castle from downstream. He continued to explore this subject on folio 13 recto opposite (D21014).

Citing the present work, Cecilia Powell has commented on Turner’s fondness for castles. See under folio 3 verso (D20995) for a summary of her analysis.