Joseph Mallord William Turner

Portsmouth: The Square Tower and the Saluting Platform

?1824

Image released under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported)

License this image

In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

View by appointment
Artist
Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Part of
London Bridge and Portsmouth Sketchbook
Medium
Graphite on paper
Dimensions
Support: 160 × 100 mm
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
Reference
D17928
Turner Bequest CCVI 8 a

Catalogue entry

With the page turned vertically, Turner has recorded a view of waterfront buildings. The subject is not definite, but appears to be the Square Tower with its semaphore station on the extreme left, looking south-east from the entrance to the harbour with the Saluting Platform and the sea wall defences beyond. Compare the bottom sketch on folio 9 recto opposite (D17929).

This is one of a continuous series of views around Portsmouth between folios 1 recto and 20 recto (D17913–D17951); many appear to have been made from a boat; for the overall sequence and details of the most prominent buildings and defences, see the Introduction.

Matthew Imms
December 2014

Read full Catalogue entry

Explore

You might like

Left Right

In the shop

Browse the shop