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

This busy drawing on a heavily inscribed page shows the landing of King George IV at Leith Harbour on 15 August 1822. This was the first time that a reigning monarch had stepped foot on Scottish soil since Charles I in 1633, so a crowd of thousands had turned out to witness the event, including a number of artists who appreciated the pictorial potential of the occasion, as well as its historic significance. William Collins was ‘desirous of painting a Picture of the Landing, after the manner of Cuype’1, and along with his friend David Wilkie he went to witness the event where, according to Wilkie, he ‘saw the landing to great advantage; and, to our surprise who should start up upon the occasion to see the same occurence [sic], but J.M.W. Turner, Esq., R.A.P.P.!!! who is now with us we cannot tell how’.2 Artists, William Home Lizars, George Philip Reinagle and Alexander Carse all made representations of the scene.3

Having made a number of sketches of the King’s barge as it conveyed His Highness from the royal yacht to the Leith shore (folio 5 verso; D17517) Turner made two on-the-spot drawings of the King’s landing. Both are densely packed with visual detail, and make extensive use of written notes to add further information. The present sketch became the basis of composition ‘3’ in the series of ‘Royal Progress’ studies at the back of the King at Edinburgh sketchbook (Tate D40979; Turner Bequest CCI 43a). Turner also made an alternative and more fully realised drawing of the King’s landing on a loose sheet of paper (in fact two joined sheets) (Tate D17767; Turner Bequest CCIII J).4

The present drawing seems to show the royal barge approaching the harbour just to the south of the Signal House which is shown at the left. The barge, helmed by Sir Charles Paget, entered the harbour at twenty past twelve and came alongside the temporary wooden landing stage which had been built to make the King’s disembarkation easy and dignified. The crew raised their oars (as can be seen in the loose-sheet sketch) and the King stepped onto the ‘Red’ carpeted platform where he was met by Lord Lothian.5 The King’s first steps on the platform are shown in Turner’s second sketch of the event on folio 66 verso (D17622), and there is another sketch of the quay on folio 71 verso (D17632).

Turner witnessed the scene from across the Water of Leith at the north end of ‘Custom House Key’ [sic]. As Robert Mudie points out:

Mudie’s description of George IV’s visit identifies the crowds along the quay as the various authorities of Leith, and ‘the platform on which the King would land was lined by his bodyguard, the [Royal Company of] Archers, commanded by the Earl of Elgin.’ At the right of the platform is a drawbridge, half raised, and beyond it ‘five smacks were drawn up abreast of each other, their cross-jack yards and cross-trees manned by sailors in new jackets and white trousers, presenting the appearance of so many pyramids of men’.7 At the very right of the sketch vertical lines may represent scaffolding on to which several figures – indicated by circles and curves – cling, near to where Turner stood on the opposite quay.

Turner’s notes, which continue on folio 59 (D17606), describe the uniforms of the ‘authorities’8 and the decorations of ‘red flags and Gold hording’. He also described the ‘Royal Barge’, and perhaps a shoulder badge which he sketched at the bottom right of the page. The ‘Admirals Barge’, which preceded the King’s in the flotillas described on folio 59.9