Joseph Mallord William Turner

This page is the second in a sequence of five which depict scenes of the coast copied from The Little Sea Torch, an illustrated maritime text by Richard Bougard, translated from the French by J.T. Serres and published in London in 1801.1 For a list of the other pages which evidence Turner’s transcription of these distinctive engravings, see the entry for Folio 55 recto (D17296). For more detailed information about the publication, and an interrogation of Turner’s use of it, see the sketchbook Introduction.

As expressed by Finberg, this page is concerned with ‘views of the English and French coast’.2 Turner demonstrates an interest in a combination of Kentish and more exotic locations, his sketches formulated in the manner of a list, and with the sketchbook turned vertically.

Beginning at the top of the page, the first inscription on the left is ‘C antifer’, which Finberg interprets as ‘Cap d’Antifer’ in Normandy, France.3 Cap d’Antifer borders the English Channel and the distinctive limestone topography characteristic of the French coastal region reinforces this identification. The scene describes a view of sharp, fragmented cliffs, including an isolated shard of rock jutting up out of the sea towards the left. On the far left and in the centre Turner describes naturally-occurring arches in the rock of parallel headlands, which are still a feature of these cliffs today. Along with several of the views on this page, this drawing is taken from plate 12 of The Little Sea Torch.4 Titled ‘Cape Antifer’ in the top left corner, the engraving is number 4 on the plate.5

Beneath this, the second panoramic view is again descriptive of a rugged cliff-side viewed from the water. ‘Cape antonio’ is inscribed across the blank, unelaborated rock face, which again was identified by Finberg.6 Another scene taken from plate 12 of The Little Sea Torch, the original engraving specifies the location as ‘Cape St Antonio, in the Bay of Biscay, W.S.W.’.7

The third drawing down from the top is the only one on this page from which an inscription is absent, but it describes the largest engraving on plate 12 of The Little Sea Torch: ‘Naples’.8 Turner’s sketch softly delineates the port scene, with its small lighthouse towards the centre. The top of the lighthouse overlaps slightly with the drawing above. The 1801 engraving from the book is more expansive, and includes a key across the bottom in order to identify important landmarks. The buildings on the distant side of the harbour are named as the ‘Castello del llovo’, referring to the Norman-built Castel dell’Ovo which is the oldest fortification in Naples.9 To the immediate right of ‘The Light House’ a ‘Fort at the Entrance of the Harbour’ is also identified.10 The ramparts described by Turner on the right of his drawing are labelled ‘Castello Nuovo’ in the engraving, identifying the thirteenth century castle which houses fragments of frescos painted by Giotto.11 Turner had visited the city as recently as 1819; see Nicola Moorby’s Introduction to the ‘First Italian Tour 1819–20’ section of this catalogue.