A small pencil sketch inscribed 'Marburg' occurs in the 'Waterloo and Rhine' sketchbook (T.B.CLX f.77v); other studies of Braubach and Marburg are on ff.18-20 of the 'Rhine' sketchbook (T.B.CLXI); none corresponds exactly with the view shown in this drawing, which is one of fifty-one small Rhine subjects executed on a prepared grey surface from sketches made during Turner's tour of August-September 1817. Thornbury's account of how Turner immediately travelled to Farnley and 'before he had even taken off his great coat .. produced these drawings, rolled up slovenly and anyhow, from his breastpocket' has been shown to be false (Finberg 1961, p.249). The drawings were probably made at Farnley while Turner was there in November, perhaps at the same time as the 'Wharfedale' series still mainly at Farnley (Nos.189-192), but they may have been begun beforehand, and Finberg suggests that they were possibly executed at Raby while Turner was working on studies for his painting of Raby Castle for Lord Strathmore (see No.202). A study in the same medium which appears to be a preliminary or unfinished drawing related to the series is in the Courtauld Institute Galleries. For other drawings from this series see Nos.196-199. The subject of ‘Marxburg' was one of those re-used by Turner in slightly larger format, on white paper without a ground, for the Swinburne family, c.1820; that version is now in the British Museum (1958-7-12-422).