Joseph Mallord William Turner

The main drawing, inverted relative to the sketchbook’s foliation, shows the ruins of the lost outer southern gateway of Dudley Castle, looking south-west to the tower of St Edmund’s Church and the spire of St Thomas’s on the skyline. There is a less detailed version of this view in the contemporary Birmingham and Coventry sketchbook (Tate D22405; Turner Bequest CCXL 44). A similar prospect from above the castle’s barbican, a little higher and to the north of the present viewpoint, is on folio 70 recto (D22107; Turner Bequest CCXXXVIII 68); there the ruins in the foreground here can be seen in the middle distance towards the bottom left, and there is also a small study of the gateway and tower in isolation from the same side on folio 69 verso (D22106; Turner Bequest CCXXXVIII 67a).

There is a small detail of ruins at the top left, above the church tower; at the top right is a slight continuation of the castle keep from the view on folio 71 verso opposite (D22110; Turner Bequest CCXXXVIII 69a), which shows the keep and barbican in the opposite direction to the present sketch.

For other views of Dudley see under folio 23 recto (D22016).

Verso:

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