Joseph Mallord William Turner Sketches and Notes Relating to Paintings in the Galleria Borghese, Rome 1819
Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Folio 2 Verso:
Sketches and Notes Relating to Paintings in the Galleria Borghese, Rome 1819
D16765
Turner Bequest CXCIII 2 a
Turner Bequest CXCIII 2 a
Pencil on white wove paper, 115 x 94 mm
Inscribed by the artist in pencil ‘Borghese P’ top left, and other notes relating to paintings (see main catalogue entry)
Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
References
1909
A.J. Finberg, A Complete Inventory of the Drawings of the Turner Bequest, London 1909, vol.I, p.574, as ‘Sketches of various figures from pictures. “Borghese P.”, &c.’.
1984
Cecilia Powell, ‘Turner on Classic Ground: His Visits to Central and Southern Italy and Related Paintings and Drawings’, unpublished Ph.D thesis, Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London 1984, pp.151 note 1, 155–6, 157, 162, 432, as ‘Borghese P (a) (unidentified) (b) Two of Mgl Angle on a Gold Gd (i.e. St Peter and St Paul, by an anonymous Roman master, formerly attributed to Michelangelo: P, II, 142, 143) (c) albberuno [two encircled diagrams] 4 (i.e. the four circular mythological paintings of Venus and Diana by Francesco Albani: P, I, 1–4), (d) Padovan and sketch (Minerva dressing herself, by Lavinia Fontana, once attributed to Padovanino: P, I, 44) (e) Sketch of two figures labelled P di Cotone. This probably shows part of Lanfranco’s Norandino and Lucina caught by Orcus (P, I, 89) (f) Sketch of a group of figures. This probably shows Bernardino Cesari’s Diana and Actaeon (P, II, 124) (g) Sketch of two figures from Veronese’s Preaching of St John the Baptist (P, I, 242), reproduced pl.86 as ‘Notes and sketches relating to the paintings in Palazzo Borghese, Rome’.
1987
Cecilia Powell, Turner in the South: Rome, Naples, Florence, New Haven and London 1987, pp.65, 66, [67], 203 notes 1, 13 and 15.
As the inscription in the top left-hand corner suggests, this page contains sketches and notes related to paintings seen by Turner in the Galleria Borghese, the art collection housed in Villa Borghese, Rome. Cecilia Powell first identified the individual subjects of each reference:
a.
An inscription near the top left-hand corner, underneath ‘Borghese P[alace], appears to read ‘Dolci of [F...]’. The note is accompanied by a very schematic unidentified drawing.
b.
The inscription near the top left-hand corner, ‘Two of Mgl Angle on a gold gd’, refers to a pair of paintings representing the apostles, St Peter and St Paul. Now attributed to an unknown Roman master, the paintings, which have gold grounds, were formerly believed to be the work of Michelangelo.1
c.
The inscription, ‘albberuno [two encircled diagrams] 4’, refers to the four mythological paintings of Venus and Diana by Francesco Albani (1578–1660).2 The diagrams probably represent some form of shorthand notation.
d. The sketch annotated ‘Padova’ depicts the painting, Minerva dressing herself, 1613.3 Formerly attributed to Padovanino, it is now believed to be the work of Lavinia Fontana (1552–1614).
e.
The subject of the sketch near the centre right-hand edge is a painting by Giovanni Lanfranco (1582–1647), Norandino and Lucina Surprised by the Ogre, 1624.4 It is not clear why Turner has labelled the drawing ‘P di Cotone’, ie. Pietro da Cortona.
f.
Powell has suggested that the group of figures near the centre left-hand edge represents Bernardino Cesari’s (1568–1640) painting, Diana and Actaeon, ?circa 1603–6.5
g.
The sketch at the bottom of the page depicts the central and right-hand foreground figures from a painting by Veronese (1528–88), St John the Baptist Preaching, 1562.6 Powell has suggested that an echo of this pose may be found within the woman kneeling before a monk in Turner’s later painting, Forum Romanum 1826 (Tate, N00504).7
An inscription near the top left-hand corner, underneath ‘Borghese P[alace], appears to read ‘Dolci of [F...]’. The note is accompanied by a very schematic unidentified drawing.
b.
The inscription near the top left-hand corner, ‘Two of Mgl Angle on a gold gd’, refers to a pair of paintings representing the apostles, St Peter and St Paul. Now attributed to an unknown Roman master, the paintings, which have gold grounds, were formerly believed to be the work of Michelangelo.1
c.
The inscription, ‘albberuno [two encircled diagrams] 4’, refers to the four mythological paintings of Venus and Diana by Francesco Albani (1578–1660).2 The diagrams probably represent some form of shorthand notation.
d. The sketch annotated ‘Padova’ depicts the painting, Minerva dressing herself, 1613.3 Formerly attributed to Padovanino, it is now believed to be the work of Lavinia Fontana (1552–1614).
e.
The subject of the sketch near the centre right-hand edge is a painting by Giovanni Lanfranco (1582–1647), Norandino and Lucina Surprised by the Ogre, 1624.4 It is not clear why Turner has labelled the drawing ‘P di Cotone’, ie. Pietro da Cortona.
f.
Powell has suggested that the group of figures near the centre left-hand edge represents Bernardino Cesari’s (1568–1640) painting, Diana and Actaeon, ?circa 1603–6.5
g.
The sketch at the bottom of the page depicts the central and right-hand foreground figures from a painting by Veronese (1528–88), St John the Baptist Preaching, 1562.6 Powell has suggested that an echo of this pose may be found within the woman kneeling before a monk in Turner’s later painting, Forum Romanum 1826 (Tate, N00504).7
Further studies and comments relating to the Galleria Borghese can be found on folios 4 verso–5 and 6 verso (D16767–D16768, D16771).
Nicola Moorby
February 2011
How to cite
Nicola Moorby, ‘Sketches and Notes Relating to Paintings in the Galleria Borghese, Rome 1819 by Joseph Mallord William Turner’, catalogue entry, February 2011, in David Blayney Brown (ed.), J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours, Tate Research Publication, December 2012, https://www