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

Turner executed these four views of the Rhône valley as he journeyed south by boat from Lyon to Avignon. In the upper sketch, rough, zig-zagging lines denote clusters of foliage and craggy peaks. The vista beneath features riverside buildings and vertical lines suggestive of boat masts. The third study beneath is either an island formation – part of the sketch above – or a separate, enlarged detail of buildings on a rocky summit. Similarly slight in appearance, the bottom view offers another profile of the valley. While a precise geographical location remains to be identified, these studies may relate to the stretch of river between Vienne and Andance, given the position of this work in the sketchbook’s itinerary.

Technical notes:

The top-left corner was completely torn off and has been repaired.