Joseph Mallord William Turner

There are numerous sketches of Linlithgow Palace in this sketchbook, taken from near and far and recorded from all sides. For this view Turner stood on a high point to the west of Linlithgow Loch, and the Palace and St Michael’s Church are shown on a slight promontory into the loch so that the water surrounds them on three sides. To the right of the church is the old towered Town House which Turner depicted in more detail on folio 52 (D13663; CLXVII 45b), and to the right of this is the town of Linlithgow. The inscription at the lower centre of the page probably reads ‘Bridge’, and refers to a small arched bridge over a stream to the west of the loch (see folio 50 verso; D13670; CLXVII 48a).