Joseph Mallord William Turner

Gosport and Portsmouth from the Sea; Shipping

?1824

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In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

View by appointment
Artist
Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Part of
London Bridge and Portsmouth Sketchbook
Medium
Graphite on paper
Dimensions
Support: 100 × 160 mm
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
Reference
D17925
Turner Bequest CCVI 7

Catalogue entry

At the gutter is a brief continuation from the view of Gosport and Portsmouth from the sea on folio 6 verso opposite (D17924), under which the subject is discussed; here the Square Tower semaphore station and Portsmouth Cathedral are seen.
Otherwise, with the page turned vertically, there are two studies of sailing boats manoeuvring at some speed, separated by a horizontal pencil line. At the bottom right relative to them, a small study of a similar boat with a warship moored beyond is framed by pencil lines as if to form a thumbnail study for a painting.
This is one of a continuous series of views around Portsmouth between folios 1 recto and 20 recto (D17913–D17951); many appear to have been made from a boat; for the overall sequence and details of the most prominent buildings and defences, see the Introduction.

Matthew Imms
December 2014

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