Here Turner has drawn a series of six views of Koblenz, taken from a variety of different perspectives on the Moselle and Rhine Rivers. The imposing Ehrenbreitstein fortress is prominent in all of the sketches; while the view of Koblenz with the Moselle Bridge also incorporates the twin towers of the Basilica of St Castor and those of the Liebfrauenkirche which are decorated with elaborate onion cupolas.
For other drawings of Ehrenbreitstein and Koblenz in this sketchbook see Tate
D28297,
D28301–D28303,
D28316,
D28317; Turner Bequest CCLXXXIX 4, 6–7, 13a, 14. For other 1839 drawings of the fortress see the
Trèves to Cochem and Coblenz to Mayence sketchbook (Tate
D28351–
D28353,
D28356,
D28437–D28447,
D28530–D28533; Turner Bequest CCXC 1–2, 3a, 44–49, 88–89a); and the
Cochem to Coblenz – Home sketchbook (Tate
D28603,
D28605–D28607; Turner Bequest CCXCI 34a, 35a–36a).
For earlier depictions of Ehrenbreitstein see the
Waterloo and Rhine sketchbook of 1817 (Tate
D12781–D12783,
D12802–D12806,
D12809; Turner Bequest CLX 42–43, 52a–54a, 56); the
Rhine sketchbook of the same date (Tate
D12894,
D12899,
D12901–D12902,
D12908; Turner Bequest 7, 10, 11–11a, 15); the
Rivers Meuse and Moselle sketchbook of 1824 (Tate
D19785,
D19818–D19821,
D19826–D19830; Turner Bequest CCXVI 117a, 134–135a, 140). There are also a number of fine colour drawings depicting the fortress and neighbouring Coblenz, some of which include: Tate
D24804,
D24809,
D24833,
D36138,
D36206; Turner Bequest CCLIX 239, 244, 268, CCCLXIV 285, 346.
Alice Rylance-Watson
August 2013
