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

Drawn over this and the following page (folio 5; D13457) is a view of an island and port on the Firth of Forth which David Wallace-Hadrill has identified as the fortified island of Inchgarvie, lying between North and South Queensferry in the Firth of Forth.1 North Queensferry can be identified by the Tower House and Signal House (lighthouse) in the bottom-right corner of the lower sketch on folio 5. The view is perhaps taken from the harbour at Inverkeithing and looks west along the Firth of Forth with the south bank on the left of the present folio.

Another view of North Queensferry with the headlands of the north shore of the Forth behind is drawn opposite this on folio 5. There is also a more detailed study of North Queensferry on folios 50 verso–51 (D13548–D13549).

Turner made numerous sketches of Inchgarvie in this sketchbook, and its distinctive shape has helped to identify many of his views of the Firth of Forth. Other sketches of the island appear on the following folios of this sketchbook: 4 verso–5, 11 verso, 37, 41 verso–44, 46–48, 50–51 and 52 verso–53 (D13456–D13457, D13470, D13521, D13530–D13535, D13539–D13543, D13547–D13549, D13552–D13553).