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

Here Turner has rendered two views of the shoreline at a village on the Suffolk North Sea coast. The drawings are positioned inversely relative to one another. In the view oriented according to the foliation buildings and houses line the cliff edge and figures stand at the base of a flagpole looking out to sea (see also Tate D18253–D18254, D18256; Turner Bequest CCIX 49a–50, 51). Below an array of fishing boats can be seen beached on the sands. There is a separate small sketch at top right which depicts fishermen navigating a vessel; they are watched from the shore by a group of figures.