Joseph Mallord William Turner

The Bridge of Sighs, Venice, from under the Ponte della Paglia

1840

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In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

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Artist
Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Part of
Venice; Passau to Würzburg Sketchbook
Medium
Graphite on paper
Dimensions
Support: 126 × 198 mm
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
Reference
D31309
Turner Bequest CCCX 17

Catalogue entry

The view is north along the Rio del Palazzo, from beneath the arch of the Ponte della Paglia at the canal’s Bacino entrance. The Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace) on the left and the New Prisons on the right are linked by the elevated Bridge of Sighs.1 Compare the evocative contemporary colour study on brown paper showing the scene by night (Tate D32253; Turner Bequest CCCXIX 5).
The contemporary Rotterdam to Venice sketchbook includes a view from a little closer to the Bridge of Sighs (Tate D32412–D32413; Turner Bequest CCCXX 76a–77). Folio 18 recto opposite here (D31310) shows the view back this way from the north; see also folios 15 verso, 16 recto and 57 recto (D31306–D31307, D31388).
As noted in the sketchbook’s Introduction, the Venice views on its early pages are intermingled with German sketches from Turner’s return journey.
1
See Finberg 1930, p.
Verso:
Blank

Matthew Imms
September 2018

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