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

There is a long geographical interval between Cilgerran Castle, the subject of the previous few sheets of this book, and Dolgellau, shown here. Turner visited Lampeter, Aberystwyth and Machynlleth on his way north, making a few sketches in his Dynevor Castle book (Tate; Turner Bequest XL). He now resumes work in the larger format of the Hereford Court book, having reached, with Cader Idris, the beginning of the North Welsh mountains. His viewpoint here is to the north of Dolgellau, with the mountain looming behind the town to the south, and to the right the village of Llanelltyd (Llanylltud) with its many-arched medieval bridge over the River Mawddach. He seems to have become preoccupied with Cader, exploring the area round it with some thoroughness, and drawing its outline from as many angles as possible, though the following fifteen pages of the book are not all conclusively identified as showing this region. For a note on other sketches of Cader in this book see folio 46 recto (D01284; Turner Bequest XXXVIII 32).

Verso:

Blank; stamped in brown ink with Turner Bequest monogram.