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

The church steeple, drawn at the left of this page, is the Tron Kirk on Edinburgh’s High Street. Though drawn quickly, Turner has observed carefully the architectural details such as the pinnacles, windows and arches, recording them with simplified lines, circles and dashes. This is the only sketch that he made of the church in this sketchbook, though he was to draw a more careful and detailed sketch from the other side of the steeple in the Edinburgh sketchbook in 1834 (Tate D26237; Turner Bequest CCLXVIII 75). Further sketches of Edinburgh were made on folio 63 (D27127) of the present book.

To the top right of the sketch of the Tron Kirk Turner drew a quick sketch of the portico of a building. The other sketch on the page, drawn at the right with the book turned to the right, was probably the first sketch that Turner made on this page, explaining why the Tron Kirk sketch was squeezed into the space at the left edge. This appears to show a scene at a pier with a boat and a crane, presumably loading it with goods. The sketch is reminiscent in style and subject to a sketch on folio 56 (D27119) which may have been made at Aberdeen or Stonehaven during Turner’s sea voyage to Edinburgh.