Joseph Mallord William Turner

Despite the context of drawings at St Donat’s, this may be a view on the Wye, either above Chepstow or near Goodrich, with the castle just showing above the woods. For other views possibly of Goodrich in this book see D01662, D01663 and D01671 (Turner Bequest XLI 29, 30, 38). Turner had already drawn Goodrich on his earlier tour of South Wales, in 1795; see the South Wales sketchbook (Tate D00610; Turner Bequest XXVI 56).

The pencil drawing on the other side of the sheet (D01647; Turner Bequest XLI 18) was listed by Finberg as the recto, with this coloured study as the verso. Present practice is to treat the watercolour as the recto, which the blind stamp on this side suggests has long been the case.