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

The page was initially used vertically, for a slight continuation from a rural view, likely on the River Rhine in Germany, on folio 29 recto opposite (D32597; CCCXXII 30). This part is limited to what appear to be low buildings, descending at the bottom right relative to the two horizontal urban subjects.

The lower of these main drawings shows a city from a distance. As the church tower on the skyline near the centre is reminiscent of St Lawrence’s (the Sint-Laurenskerk), the sketch presumably represents Rotterdam, likely seen to the north-east from the Nieuwe Maas (New Meuse) river. It is unclear as to what Turner’s note ‘Stad Hous’ (town hall) indicates; there does not seem to be a clear hint at a building that could represent the town hall of Rotterdam, or any other. The city’s old town hall is clearly shown on folio 40 recto (D32618; CCCXXII 41).

The upper view shows a street or waterfront from a low angle, with the base of a large windmill in the central foreground; although the artist did not draw the top, it evidently rose high above the surrounding houses. This truncation suggests that it was drawn after the other view, using up the blank space of its sky. Possibly this drawing was also made in Rotterdam, in which case this could be the Blauwe Molen mill, which Turner drew distinctly on folio 31 recto (D32601; CCCXXII 32).

Although the layout of the city’s central streets and harbours has been broadly preserved, very few buildings (notably St Lawrence’s) survived destruction in May 1940, and identification is based largely on earlier visual documentation. See under folio 14 recto (D32568; CCCXXII 15) for other views in and around the city in this book and elsewhere; the main sketch on D32597 opposite is among them.

Technical notes:

There is scattered brown staining at the top right, corresponding with similar marks on folio 29 recto opposite (D32597; CCCXXII 30).