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

This page contains several sketches of fragments of antique sculpture and decorative casts. The individual identities of the pieces or the location where Turner saw them have not yet been identified. However, they might represent part of Turner’s exploration of the Capitoline or Vatican Museums in Rome, contained principally within the Vatican Fragments sketchbook (Turner Bequest; CLXXX). See also folios 67 verso, 68 and 69 verso (D15424–D15425 and D15428; Turner Bequest CLXXXII 66a–67, 68a).

In addition to sketching the statues Turner has transcribed their Latin inscriptions, although it is not always clear to which item the lettering refers. The inscriptions are as follows (from top to bottom): ‘CNVETINEN CNEPATRVVS’; ‘TELEMACHOS’; ‘ORESTES’; ‘OCALCILVS | METILLVS | COS’; ‘VICTORIAE | AVGVST’; ‘[?TFNTIN] | [?B RAY]’; ‘MVALLRIVS .M. | DIPHILOS | POEIES’.