Rheinfels Castle, View over St. Goar
On the morning of Sunday 24th August 1817 Turner takes a look around St. Goar. From the hill of Castle Rheinfels he sketches the town below. Castle Katz can be discerned on the opposite bank of the Rhine. Other watercolour sketches preceded the completion of this work. As he demonstrates in many of his works, Turner explores the effects of light in great depth (here in the form of sunlight). Commenting on this watercolour, the art critic John Ruskin notes that what Turner is aiming for here »is the almost instantaneous record of an effect of colour or atmosphere«. Decades later these effects would become the hallmarks of Impressionism.
Watercolour, 1817
Medium: watercolour with pencil on cardboard-like paper
Dimensions: 195 x 313 mm
Collection: private collection
Reference: TW1546; Wilton 677
Hiking: The RheinBurgenWeg hiking trail is approx. 2 min. away.
Castle Rheinfels is the largest ruined castle in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley and is open to the public.
Address: Schlossberg, St. Goar
Site: The Turner plaque is located on the small terrace (Alexander Platz) below Castle Rheinfels
Public Transport: St. Goar railway station: approx. 15 min. walk
By bike: longish detour from the Rheinradweg cycle route with steep uphill slope to the castle: depending on fitness level and/or (e-) bike: 10–20 min.
Parking: Paid parking available in the castle’s signposted car park