Joseph Mallord William Turner

This is a further sketch of a part of the façade of St Peter’s Church at Louvain seen from the perspective of a nearby street. Turner’s handling is loose and summary, the artist swiftly capturing the important architectural and decorative features of the building in pictorial note form. Sketches of different aspects of the church in similar handling can be found on the preceding folios (Tate D28062, D28063; Turner Bequest CCLXXXVII 11, 11a).

For other views of Louvain in this sketchbook see Tate D28044–D28047, D28049, D28054, D28059–D28060; Turner Bequest CCLXXXVII 2a–3a, 4a, 7, 9a–10. There are also two drawings in gouache, pen and ink and watercolour on blue paper of the city produced in 1839 (Tate D20263, D24590; Turner Bequest CCXXII D, CCLIX 25).