Joseph Mallord William Turner

With the sketchbook turned upside down, the drawing on the uppermost register depicts Mesenich, a village situated on the Moselle roughly two and a half miles south of Cochem. Turner has annotated the drawing with ‘Mezen’, a shortening of the town’s name; ‘7H’ which stands for the neighbouring communities of ‘Senheim’ or ‘Senhals’ according to Cecilia Powell; and ‘Ferry’ to indicate the service which ran along the river and which Turner most likely made use of.1 Senhals and Senheim are depicted on folio 10 verso (Tate D28370; Turner Bequest CCXC 10 a).

The sketch occupying the central register is of Briedern, also south of Cochem, and neighbour to Beilstein. This simple yet carefully rendered valley landscape has been inscribed ‘Birdon’ at right. The final drawing is of Beilstein, taken from the outskirts of Briedern. The celebrated Burg Metternich and Monastery Church of St Joseph stand in the centre, surrounded by precipitous ranges. Turner has inscribed the side of the drawing with the word ‘Cattle’.