From Spenser's Fairy Queen
published 1811
Medium
etching and mezzotint
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.8164
Art Historical Context
"From Spenser's Fairy Queen" is a collaborative print published in 1811 by J.M.W. Turner and engraver Thomas Hodgetts. Created in etching and mezzotint, the work draws from Edmund Spenser's epic poem "The Faerie Queene," reflecting the early 19th-century fascination with literary and romantic themes. Turner, celebrated for his luminous landscapes and atmospheric effects, often partnered with skilled printmakers to translate his visionary compositions into reproducible form. The medium of etching combined with mezzotint allowed for rich tonal contrasts and subtle gradations of light and shadow...