Joseph Mallord William Turner

The Temple of Apollo in Pompeii was excavated in 1817, two years before Turner visited the site during a sojourn in Naples.1 This sketch depicts a view of the temple from inside the quadriporticus (colonnaded atrium) looking north towards the altar and the steps leading up to the podium and cella. The statues in the bottom right-hand corner of the composition can now be found in the National Archeological Museum, Naples. Visible in the background to the right is the western edge of the Forum, whilst dominating the distance on the left is the vast silhouette of Vesuvius. For an alternative study of the temple see folio 26 verso (D15787). For further sketches and a general discussion of Turner’s visit to Pompeii see the introduction to the sketchbook.