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

From a headland just west of Connel Ferry (see folio 82; D26902) this sketch shows the view west towards the mouth of Loch Etive, with Dunstaffnage Castle on a promontory at the mouth of the loch. In front of the castle is a headland that forms one side of Dunstaffnage Bay, from where Turner made further sketches of the castle (folio 92; D26922). Beyond the castle is Loch Linnhe, with the mountains on Mull in the distance at the left and Morvern on the right. Turner was making his way west along Loch Etive towards the castle on his way to Oban, and this is one of a number of sketches he made of the castle as it came into view (see folio 89 for further references; D26918).

Above the castle Turner has noted the colour of different parts of the sky: ‘all grey’ beneath the clouds at the left, ‘gold’ in the centre and ‘red’ near the horizon. As we are looking west the sun must have just set, leaving a red point above the water on the horizon with a golden hue surrounding it. Turner made this sketch a few minutes after another on folio 82 verso (D26903) which shows the setting sun and its reflection on the water. He inscribed that sketch ‘Cuyp’, referring to the artist Aelbert Cuyp (1620–1691) whose painting he admired. In this context Turner uses the name as a shorthand description of the golden colour of the sun and sky that he observed setting over Dunstaffnage, rather than to refer to any particular painting by the Dutch master.

Across the bottom of the page is a sketch of an island with hills in the background. This is probably Lismore, which can also be seen behind the castle in the sketch above.