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

Turner first visited Loch Fyne in 1801 and returned twice in 1831, first during a round trip around the lochs of Argyll, and then on this journey to Oban via Loch Awe and Loch Etive.1 The present sketches across folios 19 verso and 20 (D26474) were probably made during this first trip, which was an advertised tour from Glasgow or Dumbarton to Loch Long and Loch Goil. The tour went by steamboat, by coach through Glen Goil to St Catherine’s, and across Loch Fyne by ferry to Inveraray. On Inveraray Turner joined another tour which took him through Glen Croe to the head of Loch Long and from here he returned down the length of the loch to Dumbarton.2

Turner’s first sketches were made from the ferry crossing to Inveraray (folios 11 verso and 16; D26457, D25466), with further sketches made from Inveraray pier (folio 18 verso; D26471) and nearby (folio 19; D26472).

The present sketches were made from just north of the town as Turner was making his way up the western shore of the loch to Dunderave Castle and the head of the loch. David Wallace-Hadrill and Janet Carolan have identified these sketches which they have numbered 1–6:3

1. Across the top of folios 19 verso–20 is a view of the town from the north-east shore of Loch Fyne. The town stands on a slight promontory with the pier at the left, and the spire of the Parish Church rising above the other buildings (see folio 11 verso). To the right (at the left of folio 20) is Aray Bridge at the mouth of the River Aray, and a little further north is Inveraray Castle which is drawn in rough outline at the right of the sketch (see folio 19 for a detailed sketch).

2. The second sketch from the top on folio 19 verso is of Duniquoich Hill (Dùn na Cuaiche) (see folio 18 verso) from just to the south around the mouth of the River Aray, with the shore of the loch and, at the right on folio 20, Garron Bridge.

3. This sketch, the second down on folio 20, shows Garron Bridge from close by to the south. The view looks north past the bridge along the water that connects Loch Shira off Loch Fyne to Dubh Loch, with Duniquoich Hill at the left and Barr Mòr to the right.

4. The third sketch down across folios 19 verso and 20 is, like sketch 1, of Inveraray town with the castle at the right from the north, though this time from further away. The town is just a dark mass of scribbles at the right of folio 19 verso, and the castle is a square at the centre of folio 20.

5. Inveraray is shown again, though more clearly, in the sketch at the bottom of folio 19 verso from Garron Bridge to the north, with the mouth of the river curving in the foreground. The church spire again stands above the town, and to the left is the hill, Dùn Leacainn, rather exaggerated in scale.

6. The sketch at the bottom of folio 20 is of Inveraray Castle as seen from the north-east, with the hill Creay Dhubh beyond. It is possible that 5 and 6 are a single sketch as they show a continuous view from the same viewpoint, but there seems to be discontinuity between them, which suggests that they are in fact separate drawings.

Having made these sketches, Turner continued north to Dunderave Castle where he made several sketches in the Loch Long sketchbook (Tate D26632, D26634; Turner Bequest CCLXXI 7a, 8a). Continuing at the head of Loch Fyne, he once again opened the Stirling and the West sketchbook and took views looking south on folio 20 verso (D26475).