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

See Introduction to the sketchbook for the presence of a small run of sketches at Stratford-upon-Avon dating from 1833, including this example. Drawn inverted in relation to main numbered sequence of subjects in the book, it depicts the Sanctuary of Holy Trinity Church, from the south-west corner with the north-east angle just right of the centre of the composition and the great east window to the right; the perspective is very much flattened out. Shakespeare’s Monument is set on the wall to the left, the double monument of Richard and Judith Combe occupies the centre of the page, the floor tomb of Thomas Balsall stands between Shakespeare’s Monument and the Combe monument, and the ornate niche monument of John Combe occupies the space just to the right of the north-east angle, and below left of the east window.1

This sketch is a rather more detailed treatment of the material than the one from the south-east angle on a preceding page (D29189; Turner Bequest CCXCIII 80a). Turner also sketched Shakespere’s monument in detail (D29191; Turner Bequest CCXCIII 81a) and that, together with the present sketch, provided the basis of a finished watercolour of Shakespeare’s Monument (untraced)2 painted in 1833–4 and engraved by J. Horsburgh for The Prose Works of Sir Walter Scott (1834).

This page is very grubby.