The Mildmay Sea-Piece, plate 40 from Liber Studiorum
published February 11, 1812
Medium
Etching and engraving in brown on ivory wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 18.1 × 26.3 cm (7 3/16 × 10 3/8 in.); Plate: 21.1 × 29.2 cm (8 5/16 × 11 1/2 in.); Sheet: 29.4 × 44.3 cm (11 9/16 × 17 1/2 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
112023
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The Liber Studiorum (Book of Studies) served as both a testament to Joseph Mallord William Turner’s achievement as a painter and an instruction manual for other artists. As opposed to artists who commissioned professional printmakers to reproduce their paintings, Turner made his etchings, and even some of his mezzotints, himself. He was involved in the entire process, making sure that each print measured up to his standards. The variations in line and shading expertly display the range and varie...
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...