Lake of Thun, Swiss (Liber Studiorum, part III, plate 15)
Medium
Etching, drypoint and mezzotint; third state of three
Dimensions
plate: 7 3/16 x 10 1/2 in. (18.3 x 26.7 cm) sheet: 8 1/8 x 11 1/2 in. (20.6 x 29.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of David Keppel, 1917
Accession Number
17.21.60
Tags
Art Historical Context
J.M.W. Turner’s *Lake of Thun, Swiss* is plate 15 from Part III of his ambitious *Liber Studiorum* series, published on June 10, 1808. Turner conceived this project as a comprehensive showcase of landscape art, dividing works into categories that ranged from pastoral to mountainous scenes. The Swiss lake view reflects his fascination with dramatic Alpine topography, capturing the serene yet majestic qualities of Lake Thun through a carefully balanced composition of water, boats, and distant peaks. The print was executed in etching, drypoint, and mezzotint by engraver Charles Turner (no relati...
About the Artist
Joseph Mallord William Turner|Charles Turner|Charles 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...