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

With the sketchbook turned horizontally, Turner produced this perspectival view of the Rue Beauvau in Marseille, which runs parallel to the Quai des Belges near the old port. The neoclassical building with a portico at the end of the street is the Grand Théâtre, or Salle Bauveau. First constructed in 1787 by the architect Joachim Bénard, it would have hosted opera performances around the time of Turner’s visit. The building was partially destroyed by a fire in the early twentieth century, with parts reconstructed in the Art Deco style. Turner’s economic sketch rapidly outlines the street buildings to the left, while leaving the right side of the street sparsely detailed.

For a general commentary on Turner’s visit to Marseille and a list of comparable works in the sketchbook, see under folio 53 recto (D21092; Turner Bequest CCXXX 52).