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

With the page turned horizontally, the main view (or possibly successive overlapping views) shows rugged mountains with no specific landmarks to aid the identification of the scene(s), potentially anywhere along the overall north-east route between Trieste and Vienna (see under folios 57 recto and 40 recto respectively; D30109, D30079). Similar terrain is shown on folio 1 recto opposite (D30002).

In the space at the outer edge are two tiers of slight studies of vehicles and horses, including what seems to be a long, low vehicle laden with a tree trunk.1 At right-angles, along the top edge of the paste-down as foliated, is a typically ad hoc written note, read by Finberg as ‘17 S (? I) to Gratz’;2 this now seems less clear, having been affected by the paper’s rubbed and torn condition at this point, but apparently indicates timings, mileage or prices of travel to Graz (see under folio 41 verso; D300079), roughly half way between Trieste and Vienna.

Technical notes:

The paper is somewhat rubbed and abraded at the outer corners. There is some brown spotting around the edges of this paste-down from the glue attaching it to the front board, and staining from the two leather pencil loops secured beneath it along the outer (top) edge.