Joseph Mallord William Turner

The sketches on this page extend onto the folio opposite (Tate D28188; Turner Bequest CCLXXXVIII 11a). They depict the towns of Vireux (now Vireux-Molhain and Wallerand) and Fumay, located south of Givet on the route towards Mézières (now Charleville-Mézières). The sketch at the upper register is a view of Vireux on the Meuse, with a church tower and spire briefly suggested at the right. Below, running across the middle register, is the town of Fumay; the striking bell-shaped spire of the Church of St George rising loftily above the surrounding buildings. The lowermost sketch is a distant view of Fumay, with what appears to be the twin lantern spires of the Château des comtes de Bryas in the middle distance. A road, with a small carriage travelling upon it, leads towards the castle.

Turner briefly sketched Vireux and Fumay in the earlier Rivers Meuse and Moselle sketchbook of 1824 (Tate D19553, D19673, D19676; Turner Bequest CCXVI 7a, 62, 63a).

Technical notes:

There is a small daub of what appears to be red watercolour wash at top right.