St. Clement’s Chapel with Castle Rheinstein

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