Joseph Mallord William Turner

The Waterfront at Cologne, Looking Downstream; ?At Cologne

1824

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Artist: Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Part of: Rivers Meuse and Moselle Sketchbook
Medium: Graphite on paper
Dimensions: Support: 78 × 118 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
Reference: D19844
Turner Bequest CCXVI 147

Catalogue entry

In his handwritten itinerary at the rear of the sketchbook, Turner records that he arrived at the city of Cologne on Sunday 3 September (Tate D20080; Turner Bequest CCXVI 270). Here Turner records the Rhine front at Cologne The vista encompasses a large number of its ancient landmarks, including: Great St Martin’s Church, the cathedral, the Bayenturm, and most of the Twelve Romanesque churches such as St Kunibert and St Severin, amongst others.

Turner appears not to have spent much time sketching Cologne on this tour, though he made extensive recordings of it in 1817 and 1825. These drawings range from summary sketches to exquisitely detailed studies, and include: Tate D12598–D12702, D12752, D12871–D12873, D12981–D12983 D12985, D12987–D12990, D19116–D19130; Turner Bequest CLIX 47–49, CLX 27a, 87–88, 53–54, 55, 56, 57–58a, CCXIV 140–147.

Alice Rylance-Watson
June 2014

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