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

Turner has picked out key buildings and landmarks in this view of Edinburgh from the south, but left out the rest of the city so that the overall composition is rather bare. Framing the picture to the right is Arthur’s Seat; the dome of St Giles’s Cathedral and Nelson’s Monument are silhouetted against the sky and flank Heriot’s Hospital. The square building with columns and a pediment resembles Parliament House, though the relative position of these buildings is not entirely accurate. Many of these places are also depicted on folio 47 and 47 verso (D13405, D13406; CLXV 47, 47a), and folio 47 shows a similar view, although from further away and higher up.