J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours

Inverted relative to the sketchbook’s foliation, these slight sketches presumably show cliffs on a Channel coastline, with the sun or moon at the top left and Turner’s illegible inscription of perhaps three words over the skyline, probably noting an effect of colour or light. The upper drawing, which is continued a little on folio 36 recto opposite (D35551), is unusual in being rubbed with a fingertip to provide shading, suggesting silhouetting against the sky.

See the sketchbook’s Introduction for the many slight coastal views scattered through this book.