Joseph Mallord William Turner

Drawn with the page turned horizontally, the figure study is in pen and brown ink, and seems to show the Biblical angel leading Lot and his daughters out of Sodom. A further angel is roughly indicated in black chalk at the top right. The Destruction of Sodom (Tate N00474)1 was one of the large–scale historical paintings on which the artist was working at this time; it was probably exhibited at his own gallery in 1805. Another study of Lot and his family is on folio 14 recto (D04928; Turner Bequest LXXXI 27); see also folio 15 recto (D04930; Turner Bequest LXXXI 29).

At right angles, and inverted relative to the sketchbook’s foliation, to the left of the figures is a composition study in chalks for the large watercolour of about 1805, Lake of Geneva, with Mont Blanc from the Lake (Yale Center for British Art, New Haven);2 compare the similar view on folio 81 recto opposite (D05061; Turner Bequest LXXXI 159). There are several other such studies in this sketchbook; see under folio 8 verso (D04917; Turner Bequest LXXXI 16).

Technical notes:

A large piece at the bottom right corner relative to the figures has been torn out and made good with similar modern paper.