Tivoli, seen from the Valley

This page contains part of a panoramic view drawn from the floor of the river valley to the north of Tivoli, at a point beneath the convent of San Antonio. The drawing continues on the opposite sheet of the double-page spread, see folio 47 verso (D15015), but visible on this side is the spur of land at the northern tip of the town where part of the river flowed from an underground passage and emerged in cascades down the slopes. The so-called Temples of Vesta and the Sibyl are just out of sight round the corner on the left-hand side of the composition. Turner has used rough hatching and shading to describe the steep craggy slopes, lush vegetation and cascades of falling water. Similar views can be seen on folios 48–52 verso and 55 (D15016–D40926 and D15027), and in the Tivoli sketchbook (Tate D15467; Turner Bequest CLXXXIII 1).