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

Turner began his exploration of the ancient archeological site of Pompeii in the Via dei Sepolcri (Street of the Tombs), the former main road to Herculaneum and Rome. This sketch depicts the view looking east towards the city walls and the Porta Ercolano (Herculaneum Gate), just visible at the vanishing point of the composition. Flanking either side of the road are a number of the tombs of wealthy inhabitants which lined the approach to the city, part of which spills over onto the opposite sheet of the double-page spread, see folio 6 (D15748). During the early nineteenth century this was one of the most impressive and fully excavated sections of the ruins, and consequently it was a popular subject for topographical artists. Compare, for example, James Hakewill’s 1816 drawing, ‘Entrance of Pompeii from Rome’ (British School at Rome Library),1 and an engraving dating from 1817 by Charles Heath, ‘Pompeii. View up the Street of the Tombs’, which later appeared in Sir William Gell’s famous publication, Pompeiana: The Topography, Edifices and Ornaments of Pompeii.2

As well as depicting the relative positions of the individual monuments, Turner has made more detailed drawings of some of the more ornate sepulchres, and transcribed a few of the Latin dedications. The inscription on the far left-hand side, ‘ARRIAE.M.F | DIOMEDES.L.SIBISVIS’, reveals that the artist was standing opposite the entrance to the so-called Villa of Diomedes, beneath the tomb of Marcus Arrius Diomedes. The tomb itself can be seen in folio 5 (D15746). Below this is a second piece of text, ‘NVELASIO GRATO | VIXANN XII’, which identifies the structure above as the tomb of N. Velasius Gratus, whilst to the immediate right is the tomb of Lucius Libella and his son. The artist has made a study of the ornamental moulding from the cornice of the latter, as well as recording the full inscription from the front:

The three tombs visible on the opposite side of the road (right-hand side) represent, from left to right, the Tomb of Scaurus, a circular mausoleum belonging to an unknown occupant, and the Tomb of Calventius Quietus. Turner has made a detailed study of the latter in the top right-hand corner and has also transcribed part of the Latin dedication.4 The full text reads:

Further sketches of the Via dei Sepolcri can be found on folios 5, 6–10 (D15746, D15748–D15755). For a general discussion of Turner’s visit to Pompeii see the introduction to the sketchbook.