Joseph Mallord William Turner

Made with the page turned horizontally, this very slight, loose sketch has been identified by Cecilia Powell as showing Würzburg Cathedral;1 the upper part, extending a little upwards onto folio 90 verso opposite (D41130) seems to indicate the twin towers flanking the gable end of the nave on the west front. For the extensive sequence of Würzburg views in this sketchbook and others elsewhere, see under folio 72 verso (D30596; Turner Bequest CCCIII 71).

The rest of the somewhat incoherent pencil work and the apparent inscription below are difficult to make out. At right-angles to the left, inverted relative to the sketchbook’s foliation, are brief scrawled notes including figures, probably of an ad hoc financial nature.

Technical notes:

This is the rear paste-down, with some brown spotting from the glue securing it to the cover.