Contemplating Ehrenbreitstein
Oil on canvas, 2018
130cm W x 100cm H
Turner absolutely loved the Rhine. The area of the Rhine, and especially the fortress of Ehrenbreitstein, held particular resonance for him. He first visited the area in 1817 and would return many times over the years, producing countless drawings in his sketchbooks and numerous watercolours. When he exhibited the painting, he included a poem by Byron from Childe Harold, which describes the place in a very romantic manner – wishing his love were with him. The woman in the inset could be that love.
