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

As set out in the Introduction, this is one of a sequence running through the middle of this sketchbook showing a substantial rural weir with a fence-like wooden superstructure, populated by numerous adults and children engaged in or watching fishing. The location is unidentified. Here, one man casts his rod down into the weir while another watches.

Technical notes:

This leaf and folio 22 (D27765, D27766) have been trimmed slightly at the fore-edge, in this case effectively cutting off the ‘3’ of the red ink page number on the recto (D27767). Two edges are darkened by dust or exposure, indicative of disturbance at some point; there is also conspicuous staining or darkening at the top left. Both leaves appear to have been extracted, potentially for display, as shown by the consecutive red ink numbers inscribed on them, apparently by John Ruskin, in this case ‘995’ on the recto; for further discussion, see the technical notes in the sketchbook’s Introduction.