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

The top and bottom drawings here record, respectively, the west and north fronts of Middleham Castle. Both drawings are more than a little impressionistic with regard to architectural form. This is true of small details such as window openings and doors but also of towers and indeed the whole proportion of the building. The right tower on the north front is not round as Turner seems to suggest, but more surprisingly the proportions of the towers and the whole elevation are completely mistaken. These inaccuracies are so glaring as to require some explanation. It is possible that Turner could not get a clear view of either aspect, since the castle is hemmed in on these sides by dwelling houses, and was forced to make up the form from intermittent glimpses.

For Middleham in this sketchbook see folio 47 verso (D10954).