Beaugency, Loire Valley

This view of Beaugency on the River Loire is one of several depictions of the town in gouache and watercolour on blue paper which Turner worked up after his 1826 tour. See the Introduction to this section for a list of comparable studies of the site. He includes many of the major landmarks of Beaugency, including the Château Dunois, the old bridge, the bell tower of the church of Saint-Firmin and the Tour de l’Horloge. It is based on pencil studies made in the Loire, Tours, Orleans and Paris sketchbook; see entry for Tate D23297 and D23300 (Turner Bequest CCXLIX 26a, 28). ¹

Technical Notes:

The sheet belongs to a batch of blue paper with red fibres used by Turner made by George Steart of Bally, Ellen and Steart at De Montault Mill, Coombe Down, Bath. Another sheet from the batch bears a watermark dated 1828. 1

Verso:

See entry for Tate D41493 (Turner Bequest CCLIX 96 v).