View of the "old" city tower and Stolzenfels

After Turner crossed from the left bank of the Rhine to Lahnstein, he sketched Castle Stolzenfels again, looking upstream. The foreground shows a picturesque scene that provides insight into life by the river. Everyday situations like this represented a special allure for Turner alongside natural landscapes. The midground is dominated by the Martinsburg, built around 1300, featuring a powerful hexagonal tower with a rich ogee arch frieze. Castle Stolzenfels is visible in the background, as is the parish church of St. Martin. This is one of the few architecturally rich paintings that captures many details and served as a finished template for engravers. The Martinsburg is currently in private ownership and can only be viewed from the outside. Castle Stolzenfels is now owned by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate and can be visited.
Watercolor, 1817
Medium: Watercolor on white paper 
Size: 198 x 316 mm
Collection: The British Museum, Turner Worldwide
Reference: TW0408; Wilton 654