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

The upper drawing to which Turner’s ‘Fowy’ presumably applies is very slight, showing distant hills above a level foreground, indicating the sea or estuary, possibly with buildings to the left. The lower drawing shows buildings and trees and what seem to be the masts of boats towards the left. It is disrupted by vertical lines in ink showing through from the inscription on the recto (D08370). There may be a word inscribed to the left of the central building. The castellated tower in the distance on the right appears to support a flagpole.

There are further drawings of Fowey and its surroundings on folios 6 verso, 12 verso, 13 verso, 14 verso, 15 verso, 16 verso, 17 recto, 29 verso, 31 recto and verso, 37 verso, 42 verso, 46 recto, 46 verso, 47 recto and 49 verso (D08373, D08384, D08386, D08388, D08390, D08392, D08393, D08416, D08419, D08420, D08432, D08442, D08449–D08451, D08456). The scene on folio 233 recto (D08773; CXXIII 230) is also in the vicinity, and there are drawings in the contemporary Ivy Bridge to Penzance sketchbook (Tate D08889–D08890; Turner Bequest CXXV 18a–19, 19a–20, 20a).