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St. Clement’s Chapel with Castle Rheinstein

William Turner - Site 22: St. Clement’s Chapel with Castle Rheinstein
St. Clement’s Chapel with Castle Rheinstein (Watercolour, 1817) ©Victoria and Albert Museum, London
  • William Turner - Site 22: St. Clement’s Chapel with Castle Rheinstein
  • Trechtingshausen on the riverside footpath, looking towards Burg Rheinstein
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Trechtingshausen on the riverside footpath, looking towards Burg Rheinstein

Here Turner shows the view from Trechtingshausen looking towards Bingen. He makes the sketch for the painting on 25th August while walking along the riverside footpath on his way to Bingen. Hidden behind a tree just left of the centre of the painting we can make out St. Clement’s Chapel. On a hilltop to the right is the silhouette of Castle Rheinstein. The road is deeply rutted and we see two figures resting there. Turner was to occupy himself intensively with this location later on – particularly after he had become acquainted with Goethe’s Theory of Colours in 1840. In this work Turner’s aim was to produce an atmospheric watercolour showing the scenery through the light of dusk with pale moonlight and a cloudy sky. Today Castle Rheinstein is privately owned. It has a restaurant and is open to the public.


Watercolour, 1817
Medium: watercolour on paper
Dimensions: 226 x 317 mm
Collection: Victoria and Albert Museum
Reference: TW0555; Wilton 640/683

Tips

Trechtingshausen is a veritable castle hotspot: the castles Sooneck, Reichenstein and Rheinstein are all in the immediate vicinity – and you can visit all of them.

Tips

From here you can explore the wild, romantic Morgenbach Valley.

Tips

Hiking: The RheinBurgenWeg hiking trail is approx. 15 min. away.

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Directions

Address: Mainzer Straße, Trechtingshausen

Site: Turner’s painting site is not yet marked

Public Transport: Trechtingshausen railway station: approx. 10 min. walk

By bike: Rheinradweg cycle route – no detour necessary

Parking: »Morgenbachtal« car park in the immediate vicinity