Joseph Mallord William Turner

Shipping at Portsmouth

?1824

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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: 100 × 160 mm
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
Reference
D17946
Turner Bequest CCVI 17 a

Catalogue entry

There are three main bands of studies here, showing hulks and warships off Portsmouth’s naval dockyard. The central drawing, with the Semaphore Tower towards the right, continues briefly onto folio 18 recto opposite (D17947), with the hull of one of the vessels. With the page turned vertically, there is another waterfront view at the outer edge.
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

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