Joseph Mallord William Turner

Federico Crimi has identified the sketches on this page as two views looking south from the Simplon road which skirts the western shores of Lake Maggiore.1 The upper vista includes two medieval castles built by the Borromean family on this part of the lake: on the left is the Rocca di Angera; whilst on the right is the ruined Rocca di Arona. The lower scene meanwhile depicts a distant view of Arona. Visible on the far right-hand side is the ‘San Carlone’, a vast bronze statue of San Carlos Borromeo which is situated on the heights above Arona where it overlooks and blesses the town.

A study of the old port in Arona appears on the opposite sheet of the double-page spread, see folio 26 verso (D16939), whilst another distant view of the Rocca di Angera from the north can be seen on folio 32 verso (D16950). A more detailed view of Arona seen from the south can be found in the Turin, Como, Lugarno, Maggiore sketchbook (Tate D14323–D14324; Turner Bequest CLXXIV 91a–92).