Joseph Mallord William Turner

This was a left-hand page from the sketchbook. This view is from the Surrey bank of the River Thames towards James Paine’s bridge, with Richmond Hill culminating in the Star and Garter in the left distance.There is a further separate detail of trees at top right corner. For another view of Richmond from the same sketchbook, also from the Surrey bank and showing a detail of the present view below to the right, see Tate D05932: Turner Bequest XCV 28. The present drawing is in Hill’s opinion ‘Turner’s most detailed study of the bridge’ and as he also observes it is spattered with oil stains from use next to his easel. But while the drawing is certainly related to the painting View of Richmond Hill and Bridge shown at Turner’s Gallery in 1808 (Tate N00557)1 others in the contemporary Hesperides (1) sketchbook served most directly for it (Tate D05827, D05831; Turner Bequest 35a, 37a).

Green watercolour down the right edge must have run across the gutter of the sketchbook from a coloured drawing on the right-hand page.

Verso:

Blank save for splashes of yellow, blue and carmine watercolours.