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

These sketches show aspects of the beach and harbour at Great Yarmouth on the Norfolk coast. St Nicholas’ Church can be seen in the upper most view (see Tate D18189–D18190; Turner Bequest CCIX 17a–18). In the central view Turner depicts a structure on wooden stilts, perhaps an observation platform, with the old pier beyond and boats beached on the sand (see Tate D18187; Turner Bequest CCIX 16a). At rear, and orientated inversely to the other drawings, is a view of Yarmouth which extends onto the folio opposite (Tate D18205; Turner Bequest CCIX 25a). It shows the pier and the Britannia Monument in the distance.

Turner’s sketches of Yarmouth are associated with designs for both the England and Wales (Tate impression T04547) and East Coast engraving schemes, though the latter design, housed at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, was unpublished.1