Joseph Mallord William Turner

The coast around Boulogne is dotted with Napoleonic strongholds, although none now bear the name ‘Fort Napoleon’ as inscribed towards the bottom right of this sketch. The high cliffs featured centrally in this sketch may locate the view on the three mile stretch of coast between Boulogne and Wimereux where were located the neighbouring forts of Terlincthun and La Crèche.1

The pencil drawing is principally concerned with capturing the outline of a massy headland and some of its geological features. The rest is composed of indecipherable scratches although Turner has recorded the presence and location of certain picturesque details with inscriptions: ‘Fish Women’ to the bottom left and ‘Fishing Village’ to the bottom right. The watercolour passages are lightly applied, with blue and yellow describe the line between sea and sand, and cursory dashes of salmon pink and a lighter blue to suggest the colours of the sky and cliff.

Verso:

Blank, except for patch of purple watercolour transferred at top centre from folio 5 recto opposite (D35408; Turner Bequest CCCLVIII 6).