Joseph Mallord William Turner

A Ship at the Entrance to Portsmouth Harbour

1844

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In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

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Artist: Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Part of: Louis-Philippe at Portsmouth sketchbook
Medium: Graphite on paper
Dimensions: Support: 74 × 116 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
Reference: D35745
Turner Bequest CCCLXII 32

Catalogue entry

Inverted relative to the sketchbook’s foliation, like the other rapid sketches in this book this relates to the arrival of Louis-Philippe, King of the French, at Portsmouth Harbour on 8 October 1844, as discussed in the Introductions to the sketchbook and the overall section. A vessel is seen from the bows or stern, apparently between the fortifications on each side of the harbour’s entrance. There is possibly a continuation to the left on folio 33 recto opposite (D35747).

The blank recto is inscribed by John Ruskin in red ink ‘32’ and stamped in black ‘CCCLXII – 32’ at the bottom right. For numerous instances of blank, unaccessioned rectos in this sketchbook, see the technical notes in the Introduction.

Matthew Imms
September 2016

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