Rispah, 2nd Book of Samuel, Chapter 21 (Liber Studiorum, part IX, plate 46)
Medium
Etching and mezzotint; first state of four
Dimensions
plate: 7 1/8 x 10 3/8 in. (18.1 x 26.4 cm) sheet: 8 5/16 x 11 9/16 in. (21.1 x 29.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1928
Accession Number
28.97.46
Tags
Art Historical Context
This evocative print, *Rispah*, belongs to J.M.W. Turner’s ambitious *Liber Studiorum* series (1807–1819), a collection of-one etchings and mezzotints to showcase the breadth of landscape art. Published on April 23, 2, as part IX plate 46, the work draws from the biblical account in 2 Samuel 21, depicting the devoted figure of Rizpah guarding the bodies of her sons. Turner, who etched the outlines, collaborated with engraver Robert Dunkarton on the mezzotint, a technique prized for its rich tonal depths and velvety blacks. The first state of four reveals a dramatic nocturnal scene, with moonl...
About the Artist
Joseph Mallord William Turner|Robert Dunkarton|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...