Bingen on the riverbank, near the marina, looking towards the Binger Loch
Standing on the river bank in the late afternoon of 25th August 1817, Turner looks back towards the Binger Loch. In the foreground the painting shows a typical boat of that time. On the right bank we see the town of Rüdesheim, its buildings reflected in the river. On the left bank we can just make out Bingen, watched over by Burg Klopp. Burg Ehrenfels is only hinted at. In the far distance we can vaguely perceive the Mäuseturm, which was originally built on a small island in the Rhine as a customs tower. In Turner’s painting, the inky black, threatening clouds over the narrow straits at the Binger Loch suggest the dangerous nature of the navigation channel. In the foreground, however, boats with motionless sails and pennants float serenely on calm waters. From Bingen Turner continued his journey to Mainz by boat. The Mäuseturm is only open to the public on selected dates.
