Joseph Mallord William Turner

With the page turned horizontally, there are two waterfront sketches here, each with a brief annotation. The Turner scholar C.F. Bell annotated Finberg’s 1909 Inventory entry (‘Distant buildings. – “Brescato (?),” “St. Jenomi (?).”’): ‘outlying islands’.1

The upper view may be to the south-east from the Lagoon off the Fondamenta Nuove, towards the dome and campanile of San Pietro di Castello at the eastern end of the city. Compare the slight variant views in that direction on folio 52 recto (D31892). The word written above is yet to be fully deciphered. There is a small separate view below to the left, apparently with a tower; it is unclear whether it relates directly to the other subjects.

Below, the waterfront subject may be from further west on that side of the city, perhaps looking south-eastwards from near the Lagoon entrance to the Canale di Cannaregio, with the dome and campanile of San Geremia on the Grand Canal in the distance (see for example folio 34 verso; D31857), as a reading of Turner’s note as ‘S^t Jeremia’ would suggest. A low sun and its reflection are indicated, implying the sketch was made in the early morning if the orientation is correct. One of the slight studies on folio 54 recto opposite (D31896) may show the Ponte dei Tre Archi, along the Canale di Cannaregio.