Joseph Mallord William Turner

Goldielands Tower, Near Hawick

1831

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In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

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Artist: Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Part of: Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border Sketchbook
Medium: Graphite and watercolour on paper
Dimensions: Support: 114 × 187 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
Reference: D25918
Turner Bequest CCLXVI 87 a

Catalogue entry

Turner passed Goldielands Tower on his journey between Langholme and Hawick. Having already stopped to sketch Branxholme Castle (folio 85 verso; D25914), Turner probably walked the mile along the River Teviot to Goldielands and thence onto Hawick, just another three miles.

The three sketches he made are all from the north. This first one was taken from just north of Martin’s Bridge which is seen at the centre of the picture. Goldielands Tower is set a little back from the river behind a wood to the left of the picture. There are two further sketches of Goldielands, both from a little further north (folios 88 verso and 89; D25920, D25921).

Turner washed several pages of this sketchbook with grey watercolour before he set off on his tour of Scotland. However, he has made little use of the tone, unlike in folio 88 verso where he scratched out parts of the wash to make white highlights in the water.

Thomas Ardill
September 2009

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