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

The Pisco Montano is a distinctive promontory of rock located on the southern face of Monte Sant’Angelo above Terracina, a town approximately half-way between Rome and Naples. Turner’s sketch depicts the landmark from the west looking across the Bay of Terracina towards Sperlonga and the Bay of Gaeta beyond. Part of the composition spills over onto the opposite sheet of the double-page spread, where can also be found another view of the rock with the Tempio Giove Anxur (Temple of Jupiter Anxur) above, see folio 19 (D15591). Further sketches of Terracina can be seen on folios 20–21 verso and 23–24 (D15593–D15596 and D15599–D15601), and also in the Vatican Fragments sketchbook (Tate D15240; Turner Bequest CLXXX 76a).

On the orders of Emperor Trajan, the foot of the Pisco Montano was famously cut away so that the Via Appia could follow the line of the coast southwards, see folio 23 verso (D15600; Turner Bequest CLXXIV 22a).