Joseph Mallord William Turner

With the sketchbook turned horizontally, Turner filled much of this page with a panoramic view of Montivilliers from a high, south-easterly vantage. This small town is situated about seven miles north-east of the port at Le Havre and is dominated by the Romanesque Church of Saint-Sauveur. Particular attention has been paid here to the way in which the landmark’s lantern tower and single spire jut out above the town’s skyline to pierce the rolling countryside beyond. Turner’s interest in the picturesque potential of this town culminated in a gouache and watercolour sketch of around this date; Tate D24650 (Turner Bequest CCLIX 85). A list of pages in this volume which feature views of Montivilliers is provided in the entry for folio 96 recto (D24071; Turner Bequest CCLIV 96).