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

Looking north-west, Turner presents a wind-angle view along the Grand Canal. The presentation of the right-hand eight or nine bays of twenty-five of the Fabbriche Nuove in the left foreground in elevation rather that recession implies a viewpoint opposite, about level with the entrance to the Rio dei Santi Apostoli on the east side of the canal. The Pescaria is shown in grey beyond, south of the Ca’ Corner della Regina and Ca’ Pesaro (seen in a closer study on another page of this sketchbook, Tate D32135; Turner Bequest CCCXV 19). Compare a contemporary colour study in this direction from a little further south on a separate sheet of pale buff paper (Tate D32149; Turner Bequest CCCXVI 12), and a pencil sketch in the Venice and Botzen book (D31916; CCCXIII 64).

The right-hand side here is largely undeveloped, and the vaguely blocked-in, sunlit shapes might be intended for any of the run of palaces from the Palazzo Giusti and Ca’ d’Oro through the Palazzo Giustinian Pesaro and Ca’ Sagredo, and forwards to the Palazzi Foscari and Michiel dalle Collone towards the foreground. The loosely articulated verticals and horizontals at the right may indicate the regular façade of the Palazzo Smith Mangilli Valmarana at the corner of the Rio dei Santi Apostoli.

Ian Warrell has suggested that Turner worked this page and Tate D33119 (Turner Bequest CCCXV 3), a view south to the Rialto Bridge from about the same position, ‘concurrently, maximising his time by alternating between them to allow his washes to dry’, noting that they share an ‘evaporating effect’ of light and ‘diluted ochre colour’.1

Warrell has noted this page as among about half the views associated with this sketchbook depicting the ‘long canyon of palaces’ winding north and south of the Rialto Bridge along the ‘central part’ of the Grand Canal: D32117–D32119, D32123, D32131, D32132, D32134–D32137 (Turner Bequest CCCXV 1, 2, 3, 7, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21).2 See also D32121, D32122 and D32124 (CCCXV 5, 6, 8), showing scenes near its north-west and south-east ends, and D32178 (CCCXVI 41), a central subject now also linked to the book. For sites beyond the Grand Canal, see the sketchbook’s Introduction.

Verso:

Blank; inscribed by John Ruskin in red ink ‘Book No13’ bottom left (now partly obscure by mount); stamped in black with Turner Bequest monogram over ‘CCCXVI – 16’ towards bottom 34), British Museum, London left (faint); inscribed in pencil ‘D32132’ towards bottom right.