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

D30130–D30266; D30268–D30295; D41223–D41224

Turner Bequest CCC 1–84a

Sketchbook quarter bound in boards and black, grey, red and yellow marbled paper, with black leather spine
Foredge marked with ink lines
Inscribed and signed in pen and black ink by Henry Scott Trimmer ‘N^o 276 | 83 Leaves | pencil sketches | H.S. Trimmer’, back cover pastedown
Signed in pencil by John Prescott Knight ‘JPK’ and Charles Locke Eastlake ‘C.L.E.’, back cover pastedown
Inscribed in pencil ‘CCC.’, bottom right, inverted, back cover pastedown
Inscribed in pencil ‘J F. 24’ top right, back cover pastedown
Stamped with Turner Bequest monogram on back cover spine and back cover pastedown
Stamped in black ‘CCC’ top right front cover and top left front cover pastedown
84 leaves two types of wove paper, one of a heavier weight, and lined paper
Variously watermarked ‘C’, ‘J’, partial floral motif
Approximate size of page 159 x 99 mm

Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856

The Salzburg and Danube was the third sketchbook used by Turner to document his journey to Venice via Germany and Austria in 1833. Named after an inscription by Turner himself (see Tate D30295; Turner Bequest CCC 84a), over half the drawings chronicle the artist’s tour of Salzburg and its environs while the remaining views chart his travels to Linz down the Danube to Vienna.

Turner’s exploration of Salzburg city extended from the Kapuzinerberg (Tate D30135; Turner Bequest CCC 3a) to the Mönchsberg (Tate D30214–D30215, D30218; Turner Bequest CCC 43–43a, 45), two hills which afforded him excellent views of sights like Hohensalzburg Fortress (Tate D30138; Turner Bequest CCC 5), Nonnberg Abbey (Tate D30137; Turner Bequest CCC 4a), and the old town. Turner also ventured some way south of the city centre into the mountainous Salzach valley to Schloss Goldenstein (Tate D30149–D30167; Turner Bequest CCC 10a–19a), and to the north of it at Maria Plain (Tate D30179, D30182; Turner Bequest CCC 25a, 27).

Turner then travelled northeast by road to Linz (Tate D30204; Turner Bequest CCC 38). His impressions of the city, which include a scene sketched inside a busy local tavern, are recorded on Tate D30229–D30236; Turner Bequest CCC 50a–54. The following sketches, taken from a boat in quick succession, show the Danube from Linz to Vienna. Celebrated stretches of the river such as the Strudel and Wirbel whirlpools around Grein (Tate D30249–D30253; Turner Bequest CCC 60a–62a), the monastery at Melk (Tate D30270–D30272; Turner Bequest CCC 72–73), the castles Wallsee, Persenbeug, Schönbühel and Aggstein (Tate D30243–D30245, D30257–D30258, D30273–D30276; Turner Bequest CCC 57a–58a, 64a–65, 73–75), and the basilica of Maria Taferl during a storm (Tate D30266, D30268; Turner Bequest CCC 70, 71) are depicted.1 The final pages record Turner’s descent into Vienna, where he passed Stein and Krems (Tate D30259–D30262, D30284–D30285; Turner Bequest CCC 65a–67, 79–79a), the formidable Burg Kreuzenstein, and Klosterneuberg with its imposing abbey (Tate D30287–D30292; Turner Bequest CCC 80a–82a).

At Vienna Turner purchased a new sketchbook, the Vienna up to Venice, to record the next leg of his journey taking him across the Tyrol and south to the Alto-Adige and Veneto (Turner Bequest CCCXI 1–94a).