This painting was rejected as being by Turner in 1956 and has since been catalogued as "Manner of" Turner. It appears under "Works no longer attributed to Turner" in the 1977 complete catalogue of Turner's paintings. However, it is now believed to be a genuine fragment of a larger composition, which explains its unusual size and format. Possibly the least damaged portion of a badly-damaged canvas has been preserved and stretched. The work has suffered, as well as being cut down it may been rolled up at some stage. Analysis has revealed that the brushwork and range of colours used is typical of late Turner oil paintings.
The painting shows the 1100 foot long wooden jetty built at Margate in 1824. Steamers bringing tourists to Margate docked here when the water was too low to use the harbour. Turner would have seen this view from the house where he boarded whilst in Margate.
Gwendoline Davies bought this oil sketch from Dowdeswell Galleries through Hugh Blaker in 1910, together with A 'Sailing Boat off Deal'.
