Aesacus and Hesperie
published 1816
Medium
etching
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Miss Ellen T. Bullard
Accession Number
1941.4.25
Art Historical Context
Joseph Mallord William Turner, visionary British Romantic artist renowned for his luminous landscapes and dramatic seascapes, created *Aesacus and Hesperie* as an etching published in 1816. This print draws from classical mythology, specifically Ovid's *Metamorph*, depicting the tragic pursuit of the nymph Hesperie by the Trojan prince Aesacus. Turner included it in his ambitious *Liber Studiorum* series (1807–1819), a collection of 71 plates that showcased his mastery across genres like historical, pastoral, and marine subjects, rivaling the pastoral ideals of 17th-century masters like Claude...
About the Artist
Joseph Mallord William Turner · 1775–1851
Joseph Mallord William Turner, born on 23 April 1775 in London's Covent Garden to barber William Turner and Mary Marshall, emerged as a child prodigy amid personal hardships. His mother suffered mental illness and died in Bethlem Hospital in 1804, while his father supported his early sketches by displaying them in his shop. Around age 10, Turner stayed with his uncle Joseph Mallord William Marshal...