Joseph Mallord William Turner

Finberg later annotated his 1909 Inventory entry (‘On the Grand Canal – “St Eustachio (?)”’): ‘2 sketches: one of S. Geremia at Entrance Cannaregio, the other ?’.1 The Turner scholar C.F. Bell marked another copy: ‘San Geremia’.2 There are two views, made with the page turned horizontally.

The upper shows the view to the north-west from the Grand Canal to the Baroque church of San Geremia, with slight indications of the entrance to the Canale di Cannaregio to its right. Turner had drawn the scene in detail in his 1819 Milan to Venice sketchbook (Tate D14482–D14483; Turner Bequest CLXXV 87a–88).

The viewpoint for the lower sketch is further east along the Grand Canal, about level with the Palazzo Vendramin Calergi (see folio 35 recto opposite; D31858), looking south-east along the slow curve to the right; on that side is the classical entrance front of the church generally known as San Stae. Turner has labelled it something like ‘S^t Eschio’, likely an approximation for the saint’s full name, Sant’Eustacchio.3