Joseph Mallord William Turner

Fowey and Polruan Blockhouse; St Catherine’s Castle and the Coast near Fowey; a Rocky Headland

1811

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Not on display

Artist: Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Part of: Devonshire Coast, No.1 Sketchbook
Medium: Graphite on paper
Dimensions: Support: 75 × 117 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
Reference: D08449
Turner Bequest CXXIII 46

Catalogue entry

The main view shows Polruan’s blockhouse in the foreground, with St Fimbarrus’s Church, Fowey across the estuary to the north. The inverted drawing along the lower edge shows St Catherine’s Castle and the coast running south-west to Dodman Point across Mevagissey Bay (see also folio 129 recto; D08607; CXXIII 126). These two sketches were possibly made from the same point in the estuary, looking in opposite directions. The view at the top left appears to show a warning lamp set on coastal rocks, perhaps nearby. For other views in and around Fowey see under folio 5 verso (D08371).

Technical notes:

There is some ink offsetting from Turner’s poetry on folio 45 verso opposite (D08448).

Matthew Imms
June 2011

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