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

In his unpublished notes on the Stirling and Edinburgh sketchbook, David Wallace-Hadrill suggested ‘C[astle] Campbell’ as a possible identification of the sketches on this page, though he added ‘(unlikely)’ and later crossed it out.1 Perhaps he should have had more faith in his suggestion, however, as the sketch at the centre of this page, drawn with the sketchbook turned to the right, makes a very good match for the castle as seen from the approach road to the south-east. This sketch should be compared to a view from the south-east and another from the east in the Loch Ard sketchbook: Tate D26696, D26717 (Turner Bequest CCLXXII 16a, 27a).

At the bottom left of the page is a small and rough sketch of another view of the castle. This is comparable to a sketch of a view from the north in the Loch Ard book: Tate D26703 (Turner Bequest CCLXXII 20a). Finally at the top of the page is a sketch of ruined castle walls. This may be a sketch from within the castle courtyard, perhaps showing part of the Hall Range; see Tate D26728 (Turner Bequest CCLXXII 33).

For references to further possible sketches of Castle Campbell in the present sketchbook see folio 70 verso (D26393). For more information about Turner’s visit to the castle see Tate D26688 (Turner Bequest CCLXXII 12).