Joseph Mallord William Turner

After a sustained period of travel along the east coast from Rimini, Turner’s route towards Rome turned inland at Ancona and began to follow a south-westerly course towards the Apennine Mountains. The location of this sketch remains unidentified but it probably depicts a view amidst the hills in the countryside between Ancona and Macerata. The rustic bridge in the foreground may be a crossing of the River Potenza near the post stage of Sambucheto, whilst the hill town in the distance on the right may be Recanati. Two figures can be seen at the water’s edge in the central foreground.