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

This is among dozens of blue paper studies presumably made in connection with the Cowes Regatta events in the late summer of 1827; see the Introduction to this subsection for others showing shipping under sail and in some cases apparently racing. There are no landmarks, but the setting may be the mouth of the River Medina and the Solent off Cowes. There is a comparable work at the Yale Centre for British Art, New Haven,1 as discussed in the Introduction.

Like several others in the present subsection, this drawing was categorised in Finberg’s 1909 inventory in one of the sections of works on blue paper ‘mostly connected with “French Rivers”’.2 John Ruskin described this and Tate D24897 (Turner Bequest CCLX 61), a contrasting calm seascape with which it was paired, as ‘Perfectly noble and masterly examples of [Turner’s] pen studies.’3

Technical notes:

The blue paper has faded severely owing to prolonged exposure when formerly on display, and is now a consistent buff colour except where the edges were protected by the mount.

Verso:

Inscribed ?by John Ruskin in red ink ‘76’ bottom left, inscribed in pencil ‘52b’ right of centre and ‘CCLX – 62’ bottom centre, and stamped in black with Turner Bequest monogram above ‘CCLX – 62’ right of centre.

Finberg made no comment regarding this side of the sheet, but there are rough pairs of faint, parallel white chalk marks running vertically and horizontally towards the top left corner, forming a square where they converge, with a slight further squiggle between the lines below. Presumably by Turner, the marks do not appear to be an offset from another drawing, and may be a doodle, a plan, or a note of an architectural or interior feature such as a fireplace or door surround.