Joseph Mallord William Turner

Continuing from folio 44 verso (D13658; CLXVII 42a) are trees in the foreground of a view of Linlithgow Palace and St Michael’s Church from across Linlithgow Loch to the west. The trees are identified by Turner’s inscriptions as ‘ash’ and ‘sycamore’ and at the right there are ‘rushes’ down by the water’s edge. Despite this attention to the local flora, Turner’s 1821 watercolour of Linlithgow Palace (Manchester City Art Galleries)1 features a much more generically Italianate tree reminiscent of Richard Wilson’s and Claude Lorrain’s example.

At the right of the page are two small studies of ornate architecture features similar to these on folio 48 (D13665; CLXVII 46) and perhaps relating to the sketch of St Michael’s Church on folios 43 verso–44 (D13656–D13657; CLXVII 41a–42), or to Linlithgow Palace on folios 45 verso–46 (D13660–D13661; CLXVII 43a–44), and may show the old entrance at the east (see Scotch Lakes sketchbook, 1801, Tate D41240, D02955; Turner Bequest LVI 22).