Joseph Mallord William Turner

This sheet is one of a series of sketches associated with a tour of the Seine with a proposed dating of 1827–9. The studies are characterised by the use of pen and ink on blue paper; for more information see the Introduction to this section.

A keen interest in the architecture of the region is reflected by many of the studies catalogued within this section, and Turner’s studies of Evreux are no exception, with the cathedral of Notre-Dame a frequent subject matter. On this sheet Turner has combined a lively street scene, indicative of industrious day to day life in the French town, with a view of the cathedral, which forms a grand backdrop. For other views of Evreux and its cathedral thought to date from the same visit see Tate D24883, D24903, D24903, D24963 and D24972 (Turner Bequest CCLX 47, 67, 127, 136).

Technical notes:

The paper around the image is discoloured, a result of light exposure that presumably relates to the sheet’s early exhibition history as part of the Sixth Loan Collection between 1897 and 1931 (see exhibition history above for further details).

Verso:

The sheet has been laid down on heavy paper and the verso could not be examined at the time of cataloguing.