Joseph Mallord William Turner

The larger of the two drawings is a continuation of the view of Huy from Tate D20090; Turner Bequest CCXVII 4. It shows the western half of the stone bridge crossing the Meuse and beyond, the Maison de Batta, the building furthest from view. Constructed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Batta House was once a refuge for the Cistercian abbey of Val-Saint Lambert. It is depicted in more detail in an engraving by the British artist W.H. Bartlett (1809–1854) published in 1836.1

The drawing which runs parallel to the gutter of the sketchbook is a view of the ancient city of Trier, Germany, taken from the Römerbrücke. Turner draws from outside part of Trier’s medieval city wall, constructed between 1102 and 1248.2 Enclosed within the towered fortification is the cathedral and a number of ecclesiastical buildings, rising loftily above winding streets of half-timbered and stone houses. The Liebfrauenkirche, St Gangolf’s Church, and possibly the Church of St Paulinus are visible. For other views of Trier see Tate D19728, D19729, D19738; Turner Bequest CCXVI 90, 90a, 95.

Technical notes:

The paper has mottled and browned significantly, a result of the drawing’s prolonged exhibition and exposure to sunlight during the nineteenth century.

Verso:

Blank