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

ISBN 978-1-84976-386-8
J.M.W. Turner > 1830-35 Annual tourist > Scotland 1831 > Abbotsford Sketchbook > Artwork

Joseph Mallord William Turner Craigmillar Castle 1831

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Joseph Mallord William Turner, ‘Craigmillar Castle’ 1831
Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Folio 25 Recto:
Craigmillar Castle 1831
D25972
Turner Bequest CCLXVII 25
Pencil on off-white wove writing paper, 113 x 185 mm
Inscribed in pencil by Turner ‘Craig’ top left; ‘Three unicorns on a shield | 2 Lion pups which are | s[...] lions with | [...]’ bottom left inverted; ‘S...y m... the wall and ... ...’ centre inverted
Inscribed in blue ink by John Ruskin ‘25’ top right and ‘271’ bottom right
Stamped in black ‘CCLXVII – 25’ bottom right
 
Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
There are four sketches of Craigmillar Castle on this page, demonstrating Turner’s systematic approach to recording both the architectural details and ornamentation of a building. At the top left of the page is a view of the castle from nearby to the west inscribed ‘Craig’. To the right of this is a study of the south-east corner. With the sketchbook inverted are two further studies. The larger shows a view from the east with a description inscribed beneath. Finally, at the top right of the inverted page is a rough sketch of the castle’s north façade and a close-up sketch of the coat of arms that is situated above the doorway. Turner’s description tells us that it consists of ‘Three unicorns on a shield | 2 Lion pups which use | s[...] lions with | B[...]’.
There are four further pages of sketches at Craigmillar, see folio 23 (D25968; CCLXVII 23) for references.
Verso:
Blank

Thomas Ardill
September 2009

How to cite

Thomas Ardill, ‘Craigmillar Castle 1831 by Joseph Mallord William Turner’, catalogue entry, September 2009, in David Blayney Brown (ed.), J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours, Tate Research Publication, December 2012, https://www.tate.org.uk/art/research-publications/jmw-turner/joseph-mallord-william-turner-craigmillar-castle-r1134342, accessed 25 April 2024.