Joseph Mallord William Turner

With the page turned vertically, the upper quarter nearest the gutter is occupied by a roughly sketched wooded scene like those on folio 41 verso opposite (D17833), probably in the Thames Valley; for other Thames subjects, see under folio 2 recto (D17775). Below to the right is a heavier, somewhat enigmatic study of a cluster of objects, or possibly figures or animals. Down the left-hand side there appears to be a slight sketch made with the page inverted relative to the foliation to which the note ‘weeds under water’ may relate.

Inverted relative to the first sketch, at the bottom right-hand corner is what seems to be a riverbank scene with buildings in the distance and a colour note in the sky. There are other slight landscape and cloud sketches towards this end of the page. For other sky studies in this book, see the entry for the inside of the front cover (D40982).

Technical notes:

There is heavy staining from the leather overlap of the integral pencil holder along the top edge of the back cover as foliated (down the right-hand side as addressed in this entry).