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

On this page are four sketches of Dunstaffnage Castle and a view of what is probably Loch Etive. The castle sketches were all made from within about a hundred metres of the building. The top sketch is a view from the north and carefully records the turrets and gables of the building. Beneath is a view from the south-east with the arched doorway to the castle. To the right of this is a view from the south-west with the ruins of an outbuilding in front of the castle. The same outbuilding is depicted again beneath.

At the left of the page, with the sketchbook turned to the right, there is a sketch of hills surrounding a loch. This may be the view east up Loch Etive from Dunstaffnage, with the promontory at the far side of Dunstaffnage Bay to the left. Beneath the sketch is an inscription that looks like ‘Islean’, which is perhaps a misspelling of Eilean – meaning a small island –perhaps referring to Eilean Mòr or Eilean Beag, two islands near Dunstaffnage.

For a full list of Turner’s sketches of Dunstaffnage Castle see folio 89 (D26916).